Liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy for imaging of thermosensitive recombinant polymers.

Various polymers used in controlled release applications exhibit solution-based thermal responses. Unfortunately, very few characterization and imaging techniques permit resolution of individual polymers during their thermally-triggered phase transitions. Here, we demonstrate the use of temperature-ramp liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM) for real-time evaluation of the solution and interfacial behavior of elastinlike polypeptides (ELPs) and their self-assembled nanostructures over a temperature range incorporating their intrinsic lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs).