The cell membrane is an example for nature’s outstanding ability to obtain highly ordered two-dimensional materials by self-assembly of molecular building blocks – bottom up versus top down in today’s technologies. Electron microscopy is a powerful technique to study the structure of biological and artificial membranes with high resolution. This is enabled by modern electron microscopic techniques, which are constantly pushing the limits so that single membrane layers and single proteins can be imaged at highresolution, e.g., by electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM). Further examples, such as the tomographic analysis of whole cells at high resolution, open new perspectives in the analysis of cell development and interaction. In the talk I will present recent results on the fabrication and analysis of artificial membranes, which are used to develop new methods for cryoEM of biomolecules. Overall, the talk illustrates the use of modern electron microscopy as a powerful tool in the biological sciences.