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| Title | Foam film vitrification for cryo-EM. |
|---|---|
| Journal, issue, pages | Nat Commun, Vol. 16, Issue 1, Page 6199, Year 2025 |
| Publish date | Jul 4, 2025 |
 Authors | Yue Zhang / Biplob Nandy / Kasim Sader / Christopher J Russo / Jan Löwe /  |
| PubMed Abstract | Electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionised structural biology, enhancing applicability, size limits and speed. Despite these successes, cryo-EM sample preparation remains a major bottleneck ...Electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionised structural biology, enhancing applicability, size limits and speed. Despite these successes, cryo-EM sample preparation remains a major bottleneck for routinely achieving high-resolution structures through single particle analysis. Challenges such as inconsistent ice thicknesses, air-water interface interactions and preferred particle orientation persist. Here, we introduce a blot-free vitrification method that uses free-standing surfactant-stabilised foam films to address some of these issues. The method achieves uniform ice thicknesses, enables thickness control of the foam film prior to vitrification, and for some specimens enhances orientation distribution efficiency. Furthermore, it reduces particle adsorption to carbon foil on the specimen support. The method simplifies cryo-EM specimen preparation, offering improved control over ice thickness and particle orientation, to help streamline and accelerate structure determination. |
 External links | Nat Commun / PubMed:40615419 / PubMed Central |
| Methods | EM (single particle) / EM (helical sym.) |
| Resolution | 2.34 - 3.45 Å |
| Structure data |  EMDB-53038: Structure of catalase determined by cryoEM prepared with foam film vitrification method  EMDB-53039: Structure of 30S ribosomes determined by cryoEM prepared with foam film vitrification method  EMDB-53040: Structure of EspB determined by cryoEM prepared with foam film vitrification  EMDB-53041: Structure of EspB 14-mers determined by cryoEM prepared with foam film vitrification method  EMDB-53042: Structure of 20S proteasomes determined by cryoEM prepared with foam film vitrification method  EMDB-53043: Structure of AcrB determined by cryoEM prepared with foam film vitrification method  EMDB-53044: Structure of paired helical filament determined by cryoEM prepared with foam film vitrification method |
| Source |
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Homo sapiens (human)
Escherichia coli (E. coli)