Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

Cryo-electron Microscopy

Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Re-evaluating population-level screening recommendations to address increasing early-onset colorectal cancer rates in Australia: a modelling study.

ESMO gastrointestinal oncology·2026
Same author

Nonrigid temporal registration of multiphase CT pulmonary angiography using low-kV and low contrast: a feasibility study with dual-source CT.

Clinical radiology·2025
Same author

Erratum: Centrality-Dependent Modification of Jet-Production Rates in Deuteron-Gold Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 122301 (2016)].

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Disentangling Centrality Bias and Final-State Effects in the Production of High-p_{T} Neutral Pions Using Direct Photon in d+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

[Preliminary application results of laparoscopic assisted proximal gastrectomy λ-shaped double tract anastomosis].

Zhonghua wei chang wai ke za zhi = Chinese journal of gastrointestinal surgery·2024
Same author

[Application of machine learning in risk assessment for acute coronary syndrome].

Zhonghua xin xue guan bing za zhi·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam
10:54

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam

Published on: July 26, 2014

New controlled environment vitrification system for preparing wet samples for cryo-SEM.

H Ge1, W J Suszynski, H T Davis

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Journal of Microscopy
|January 5, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new controlled environment vitrification system (CEVS) enables detailed cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) of solvent-containing coatings. This system optimizes sample preparation for artifact-free microstructural analysis.

More Related Videos

Modified MicroSecure Vitrification: A Safe, Simple and Highly Effective Cryopreservation Procedure for Human Blastocysts
09:35

Modified MicroSecure Vitrification: A Safe, Simple and Highly Effective Cryopreservation Procedure for Human Blastocysts

Published on: March 2, 2017

Manual Blot-and-Plunge Freezing of Biological Specimens for Single-Particle Cryogenic Electron Microscopy
09:16

Manual Blot-and-Plunge Freezing of Biological Specimens for Single-Particle Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

Published on: February 7, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam
10:54

Cryo-electron Microscopy Specimen Preparation By Means Of a Focused Ion Beam

Published on: July 26, 2014

Modified MicroSecure Vitrification: A Safe, Simple and Highly Effective Cryopreservation Procedure for Human Blastocysts
09:35

Modified MicroSecure Vitrification: A Safe, Simple and Highly Effective Cryopreservation Procedure for Human Blastocysts

Published on: March 2, 2017

Manual Blot-and-Plunge Freezing of Biological Specimens for Single-Particle Cryogenic Electron Microscopy
09:16

Manual Blot-and-Plunge Freezing of Biological Specimens for Single-Particle Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

Published on: February 7, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Microscopy Techniques
  • Polymer Science

Background:

  • Analyzing solvent-containing coatings requires specialized techniques to preserve their microstructure.
  • Existing methods often introduce artifacts during sample preparation for microscopy.
  • Cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) offers high-resolution imaging but demands rapid, artifact-free vitrification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and construct a novel controlled environment vitrification system (CEVS).
  • To enable in-situ examination of coating microstructures in their initial suspension state using Cryo-SEM.
  • To minimize shear and freezing artifacts during the vitrification of solvent-containing samples.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a CEVS with main and subsidiary chambers for controlled drying and annealing.
  • Blade-coating of samples on silicon wafers within the CEVS.
  • Controlled plunging of samples into liquid ethane at their freezing point using an adjustable sample holder.
  • High-speed digital camera recording of the plunge process.
  • Interpretation of data using a new hypothesis on rapid cooling during vitrification.

Main Results:

  • The CEVS successfully facilitated the vitrification of latex, latex-composite, and other coatings.
  • Cryo-SEM examination revealed microstructural development in the presence of solvent.
  • Optimization of sample attitude during plunging was found crucial for balancing freezing rate and surface shearing.
  • The study provided insights into the cooling dynamics during vitrification.

Conclusions:

  • The developed CEVS is effective for preparing solvent-containing coating samples for Cryo-SEM.
  • The system allows for artifact-free analysis of microstructural development.
  • Understanding and controlling the vitrification process, particularly sample attitude, is key to obtaining high-quality Cryo-SEM data.