Support floatation block

A block designed to facilitate carbon film floatation from mica or graphene layer floatation from a substrate, for use as an electron microscopy sample support avoiding the destabilising effects of the air-water interface.

The block is designed to accommodate four samples (enough for one grid box), allowing for buffer exchange, either in situ using two needles under the surface on which the film is floated, or by movement to the well behind.

Supports for both negatively stained and cryogenic experiments can be applied in this way, avoiding exposure of the sample to the air-water interface. Decorated films may be retrieved with a plasma cleaned carbon-coated electron microscopy grid e.g. holey or lacey carbon.

Production requires a relatively high resolution 3D printer; we have had good results with a Form 2. The plastic used to print the block must obviously be water resistant to hold biological buffers, and should be smooth and poorly surface active to minimise sample loss during preparation.

Please reference https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107677 if this block is of use for your research.

Happy floating,

Chris