Copper Oxide Spike Grids for Enhanced Solution Transfer in Cryogenic Electron Microscopy.

ABSTRACT: The formation of uniform vitreous ice is a crucial step in the preparation of samples for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Despite the rapid technological progress in EM, controlling the thickness of vitreous ice on sample grids with reproducibility remains a major obstacle to obtaining high-quality data in cryo-EM imaging. The commonly employed classical blotting process faces the problem of excess water that cannot be absorbed by the filter paper, resulting in the formation of thick and heterogeneous ice. In this study, we propose a novel approach that combines the recently developed nanowire self-wicking technique with the classical blotting method to effectively control the thickness and homogeneity of vitrified ice. With simple procedures, we generated a copper oxide spike (CO

SUBMITTER: Lee D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10495688 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature