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Instrumentation includes two cryo-TEMs, used by both life science and materials science users. Equipment for life science specimen preparation includes cryo-fixation, negative staining, shadowing/coating and darkroom facilities.
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The cryo-TEMs are:
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- JEOL JEM-1230 thermionic emission TEM with a digital camera.
- JEOL JEM-2200FS Field Emission TEM with a digital camera and a in-column energy filter (Omega Filter). The energy filter included in the JEM-2200FS electron microscope, a technologically sophisticated apparatus, will allow the observation of large samples, obtain energy filtered images (zero-loss, elemental mapping) and Electron Energy Loss Spectras (EELS).
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| The equipment available is: |
- VITROBOT (Vitrification Robot - FEI): is a fully PC-controlled plunge-freezing device for vitrification (=rapid cooling) of aqueous samples. The process of plunging, blotting and vitrification is fully automated, at temperature and humidity-controlled. The parameters to be influenced are: temperature, humidity, the number of blots, and a number of critical time settings.
- HIGH VACUUM COATING SYSTEM (MED 020 BALTEC): Carbon Coater and Glow discharge (Glow discharge equipment is used to clean the substrate surfaces which are to be coated in order to improve the adhesiveness of the coating layers as well as for the hydrophilization of carbon support films).
- GRIDS:
- C-flat™ Holey Carbon Grids for cryo-TEM (CF-224C PROTOCHIPS).
- QUANTIFOIL® R 2/4 Holey Carbon Grids for cryo-TEM (Q250-CR4 QUANTIFOIL).
- Formvar/Carbon grids.
- Formvar/Silicone Monoxide grids.
- CRYO TRANSFER SYSTEM (GATAN): TEM cryotransfer holders are primarily used to reduce specimen damage caused by the electron beam and to observe biological macro-molecules in the hydrated state.
- Model 655 Dry Turbo Pumping Station: The Model 655 is a completely self-contained, compact, bench top pumping station designed for TEM applications. It incorporates the latest diaphragm pump and turbo drag pump technologies to produce a clean vacuum in the 5E -6 Torr range.
- DARKROOM: For analogical data acquisition in KODAK films is necessary to process the films in the darkroom: immerse the films in a developer, stop bath, fixer, and water (at 20 º C). Then dry the films in a drying cabinet.
- Z/I PHOTOSCAN scanner (ZEIS): the electron micrographs (KODAK films - SO163 SIGMA) are digitalized in the PHOTOSCAN scanner.
- GATAN CCD cameras: Digital Data acquisition is made with the aid of Digital Micrograph software and the CCD cameras.
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