Preparing Samples at Home

Many institutes now have the equipment available to prepare cryo-TEM grids before arriving at Diamond. While the sample preparation tools are always available at VMXm, some samples may not travel well or are time sensitive. Below is a guide to preparing your samples at your home institution before your beamtime at VMXm.

The VMXm team have prepared a JoVE publication with a video demonstrating the standard sample preparation which can be used as a guide to preparing your samples.

• Plunge freezer with single sided blotting capability.
• Glow discharger
• Suitable tweezers
• Grid boxes

• Grids with holey carbon support film such as Quantifoil Cu 200 Mesh R2/2
• Blotting paper
• Crystallisation solution
• Liquid Nitrogen
• Ethane Gas

It is possible to ship grids to VMXm in grid boxes secured either in specially adapted pucks which can be sent to users or in falcon tubes although this is less desirable. Please discuss shipping to prepare grids with your VMXm local contact.