Microscopy techniques for protocell characterization

Abstract Recent advances have witnessed the research progress of synthetic preliminary forms of cell-like entities (protocells) towards understanding the origin of life. Microscopy techniques have been instrumental to study protocells both in structural characterization and biomimetic functions. Advanced microscopes equipped with different illumination sources (light or electron) and detectors, have provided a versatile platform to investigate the thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of protocells across a range of scales. Understanding the functions and advantages of each technique is a prerequisite for researchers to obtain high quality microscopic images and extract in-depth structural information. To this end, we provide a brief overview of the applications of microscopic techniques in characterizing protocells, together with discussion of their advantages and drawbacks.