Since its inception, electron microscopy (EM) has revealed that cellular 
membranes are organized into structurally distinct subdomains, created by 
localized protein and lipid assemblies to perform specific complex cellular 
functions. Caveolae are membrane subdomains that function as signaling 
platforms, endocytic carriers, sensors of membrane tension, and mechanical 
stress, as well as in lipid homeostasis. They were first discovered almost 60 
years ago by pioneering electron microscopists. While new and exciting 
developments in SUPER-resolution fluorescent light microscopy facilitate studies 
of the spatial organization of fluorescently labeled protein components, these 
techniques cannot reveal the underlying cellular structures. Thus, equally 
exciting are developments in EM: genetically encoded probes for protein 
localization at sub-10 nm resolution, more powerful instruments that allow 
imaging of larger cell volumes, and computational methods for reconstructing 
three-dimensional images. Used in combination, as done by Ludwig et al. in the 
current issue of PLOS Biology, these tools reveal high-resolution insights into 
the composition and organization of the caveolae coat and the formation of these 
specialized structures. Together, these advances are contributing to a 
resurgence in EM.