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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

An Alternative Approach for Sample Preparation with Low Cell Number for TEM Analysis
Published on: October 12, 2016
Modified Hiraoka TEM grid staining apparatus and technique using 3D printed materials and gadolinium triacetate
1Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Morphology Core 20 Staniford Street Boston, MA 02114 USA.
Abstract:
The Hiraoka transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid staining apparatus, which allowed multiple grids to be batch stained together on a plate, is no longer commercially available. Because the need for such a device still exists, we developed a modified Hiraoka TEM grid staining apparatus by combining a Leica AC20 grid plate holder with a modified 3D printed grid loading holder and trays lined with ParafilmR. This apparatus was then used to test a post-section contrasting method that uses gadolinium triacetate tetrahydrate solution, a non-radioactive uranyl acetate substitute, which produces similar staining results to uranyl acetate when used with lead stain in mouse ocular tissue for TEM.
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