Evaporated carbon stabilizes thin, frozen-hydrated specimens

doi:10.1016/0304-3991(89)90333-1

Ultramicroscopy

Volume 31, Issue 4, December 1989, Pages 351-356

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3991(89)90333-1 Get rights and content

Abstract

A relatively simple modification has been designed and built for a commercial freeze-fracture machine, which makes it possible to evaporate carbon onto frozen-hydrated specimens after the specimen grid has been mounted into a side-entry electron microscope cryoholder. The evaporated carbon film greatly improves the stability of self-supported, vitreous ice films during exposure to the electron beam. Specimen charging is also greatly reduced. As a consequence, the image resolution attainable with carbon-coated, vitreous ice specimens appears to be limited only by the mechanical stability of the cryostage itself.

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^∗: Permanent address: Biophysics and Cell Physiology Division, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Donner Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

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Evaporated carbon stabilizes thin, frozen-hydrated specimens

Abstract

J. Ultrastruct. Res.

Ultramicroscopy

Ultramicroscopy

Ultramicroscopy

Science

J. Microscopy