Harrick Plasma → Applications → Characterization → Electron Microscopy →
Cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) has emerged as one of the most powerful tools in structural biology, enabling researchers to resolve protein complexes, receptor-ligand interactions, and viral structures at near-atomic resolution.
A critical but often overlooked step in producing high-quality Cryo-EM data is plasma cleaning the grid immediately before sample application. Untreated EM grids are hydrophobic, causing aqueous samples to bead unevenly across the support film. Plasma treatment renders the grid surface hydrophilic, enabling the sample to spread uniformly and form vitreous ice of consistent thickness (typically 20 to 100 nanometers) after plunge-freezing. Without this step, uneven ice, poor particle distribution, and reduced contrast can compromise an entire data collection session.
Harrick Plasma Cleaners have been the instrument of choice for Cryo-EM sample preparation across more than a hundred published studies, appearing in high-impact journals including Nature, Science, and Cell. Researchers have used Harrick Plasma Cleaners to treat copper and gold holey carbon grids, UltrAuFoil grids, graphene-coated substrates, and specialty films across a wide range of conditions, most commonly 30 seconds at high power under ambient air, though treatment times from 10 to 360 seconds have been validated depending on the substrate and sample type.
Unlike dedicated benchtop glow discharge units, large enough for grids only, Harrick Plasma Cleaners offer a larger chamber capable of treating microscope slides and coverslips in addition to grids. The larger chamber also supports batch processing of multiple grids simultaneously, improving throughput in high-demand shared facilities. Combined with a more accessible price point than many single-purpose glow discharge units, Harrick Plasma Cleaners offer Cryo-EM labs broad capability without compromise.
Below you will find a select group of articles citing the use of Harrick Plasma cleaners in Cryo-EM.
Cryo EM Articles
Cho H-J, Hyun J-K, Kim J-G, Jeong HS, Park HN, You D-J, and Jung HS. “Measurement of ice thickness on vitreous ice embedded cryo-EM grids: investigation of optimizing condition for visualizing macromolecules”. J. Anal. Sci. Technol. 2013 4: 7 10.1186/2093-3371-4-7
Huo J, Bas A. L, Ruza R. R, Duyvesteyn H. M. E, Mikolajek H, Malinauskas T, Tan T. K, Rijal P, Dumoux M, Ward P. N, Ren J, Zhou D, Harrison P. J, Weckener M, Clare D. K, Vogirala V. K, Radecke J, and Moynie L. “Neutralizing nanobodies bind SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD and block interaction with ACE2”. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2020 27: 846-854 10.1038/s41594-021-00566-w
Rachel R, Walther P, Maaßen C, Daberkow I, Matsuoka M and Witzgall R. “Dual-axis STEM tomography at 200 kV: Setup, performance, limitations”. Journal of Structural Biology 2020 211(3): 107551. 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107551
Wang H, Yan X, Aigner H, Bracher A, Nguyen N, Hee W, Long B, Price G, Hartl F and Hayer-Hartl M. “Rubisco condensate formation by CcmM in β-carboxysome biogenesis”. Nature 2019, 566: 131-135 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-0880-5
Zhang Y, Li S, Zeng C, Huang G, Zhu X, Wang Q, Wang K, Zhou Q, Yan C, Zhang W, Yang G, Liu M, Tao Q, Lei J, and Shi Y. “Molecular architecture of the luminal ring of the Xenopus laevis nuclear pore complex”. Cell Research 2020 30: 532-540 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-020-0320-y
Zhao L, Xu J, Zhao W, Sung P, and Wang H-W. “Chapter Seven – Determining the RAD51-DNA Nucleoprotein Filament Structure and Function by Cryo-Electron Microscopy”. Methods Enzymol. 2018 600: 179-199 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.12.002