Perspective: Biochemical and Physical Constraints Associated With Preparing Thin Specimens for Single-Particle Cryo-EM.

ABSTRACT: While many aspects of single-particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) of biological macromolecules have reached a sophisticated level of development, this is not yet the case when it comes to preparing thin samples on specimen grids. As a result, there currently is considerable interest in achieving better control of both the sample thickness and the amount of area that is useful, but this is only one aspect in which improvement is needed. This Perspective addresses the further need to prevent the macromolecular particles from making contact with the air-water interface, something that can result in preferential orientation and even structural disruption of macromolecular particles. This unwanted contact can occur either as the result of free diffusion of particles during the interval b

SUBMITTER: Han BG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9100935 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature