Methodologies

The existing electron microscopes are used within the core facility for various research and application purposes. According to the different fields of application, different sample preparation equipment is available and specific methods have been established. Both are available to the core facility users, supported by the methodological and scientific expertise of the personal of the member institutions of the core facility.

Sample preparation for scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Critical-point drying
Chemical sample drying by HMDS
Freeze-drying
Sputter coating (Au, Pt, C)

Sample preparation for cryo - electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM)

Cryoimmobilisation by plunge freezing and high pressure freezing (HPF)
Freeze-substitution
Sputter coating (Leica ACE 600)
Freeze fracture (Balzer / Leica Ace 600)

Sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

Negative staining
Chemical fixation
Microwave assited chemical fixation and resin embedding
Conventional resin embedding
Ultramicrotomy (resin embedded samples)
Section staining
Cryoimmobilisation and freeze-substitution
Low temperature embedding (methacrylates)
Ultrathin Tokuyasu cryosectioning & immunogold labelling
Resin section immunogold labelling
Pre-embedding immunogold labelling

Sample preparation for correlative microscopy

OTO fixation for correlative use of Micro-CT and electron microscopy
Resectioning of stained semi-thin sections for TEM

Contact

Dr. Stefan Fischer (Head of TSM Core Facility)

+49 7071 29-78929