Electron microscopes are the instruments that allow us to see even the smallest details of the microscopic world. But their main disadvantage is that they are able to produce black-and-white images. Technology of color electron microscopy was in development a little more than 15 years. Palm of victory in the development of technologies of colored electron microscopy got a group of researchers from the University of California in San Diego. Currently, their electron microscope is able to take photos in three colors: green, red and yellow.

In order to obtain a color image, the researchers fixed on a normal electron microscope the new special sensor. With the help of this sensor the photos of structure of a live cell were obtained, such as,  proteins and the membranes, material of which contains of  its own combination of rare earth elements, including lanthanum, cerium, and others, in a certain proportion. The combination of these elements, that cause certain changes in the brightness of the electron beam,  is one of the colors, which are painted in the appropriate fields on the photos.

Scientists from the University of California are planning in the nearest future to improve the process developed by them.