Devitrification reduces beam-induced movement in cryo-EM.

ABSTRACT: As cryo-EM approaches the physical resolution limits imposed by electron optics and radiation damage, it becomes increasingly urgent to address the issues that impede high-resolution structure determination of biological specimens. One of the persistent problems has been beam-induced movement, which occurs when the specimen is irradiated with high-energy electrons. Beam-induced movement results in image blurring and loss of high-resolution information. It is particularly severe for biological samples in unsupported thin films of vitreous water. By controlled devitrification of conventionally plunge-frozen samples, the suspended film of vitrified water was converted into cubic ice, a polycrystalline, mechanically stable solid. It is shown that compared with vitrified samples, devitrificatio

SUBMITTER: Wieferig JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7924229 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature