Protein Sample Preparation at Diamond

VMXm has a sample preparation area dedicated to the testing and preparation of sample supports prior to data collection on the beamline.

 The lab contains the following equipment:

• Pelco easiGlow discharge cleaning system - used to apply surface modification to TEM grids prior to addition of sample
• Leica EM GP2 - used for blotting and plunge freezing grids and crystals
• JEOL IT100 SEM - used for imaging prepared grids prior to beamtime
• Quorum PP3006 CoolLok - cryo-stage for SEM and cryo-transfer system for loading cryo-cooled grids into the SEM
• Leica M165C with FlexaCam

Leica EM GP2 housed within the VMXm sample preparation lab.

A TEM grid held with tweezers inside the Leica EM GP2 humidity chamber.  A crystal suspension is pipetted onto the grid and then blotted before plunge freezing in liquid ethane.  After plunge freezing the grid is transferred into the grid storage box which is surrounded in liquid nitorgen to maintain the low temperature.  The grid box can hold four prepared grids.