Imaging of biological matter across resolution scales entails the challenge of preserving the direct and unambiguous correlation of subject features from the macroscopic to the microscopic level. Here, we present a
correlative imaging platform developed specifically for imaging cells in 3D under cryogenic conditions by using X-rays and visible light. Rapid cryo-preservation of biological specimens is the current gold standard in
sample preparation for ultrastructural analysis in X-ray imaging. However, cryogenic fluorescence localization methods are, in their majority, diffraction-limited and fail to deliver matching resolution. We addressed
this technological gap by developing an integrated, user-friendly platform for 3D correlative imaging of cells
in vitreous ice by using super-resolution structured illumination microscopy in conjunction with soft X-ray tomography. The power of this approach is demonstrated by studying the process of reovirus release from
intracellular vesicles during the early stages of infection and identifying intracellular virus-induced structures
