The coherent control of a free electron wave function by optical pulses enables the generation of attosecond (as) and potentially even zeptosecond (zs) electron bunches, as well as the manipulation of their orbital angular momentum (OAM). Such beams can be used for ultra-high time resolution diffraction experiments mapping the delay between electronic and structural phenomena in solids, or to characterize and control plasmonic fields in nanostructures or to probe local magnetization dynamics. Alternatively, we recently proposed that ad hoc prepared electron packets can unveil new phenomena in nuclear reactions and sub-nuclear phenomena. In this presentation, we will review the state of the art in ultrafast electron microscopy and show how to prepare electron pulses of extremely short duration and controlled OAM state. Their potential for controlling nuclear excitations in electron capture processes and to investigate the inner structure of protons will be discussed.