Electron Optic Documents

High resolution structure determination by electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM) and Single Particle Analysis (SPA) has progressed to the point where structures can routinely be determined to be better than 2Å resolution using either a 200 or a 300 kV microscope. At 1.8Å resolution, details like amino acid isoforms can be distinguished. This application note highlights improved results that were obtained on apoferritin at 1.34Å resolution that hint at new features.

The quest for renewable energy sources is prompting the development of technologies capable of tapping into alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and tidal energy. To fully exploit these energy sources, engineers need novel ways of storing and converting these energies.

Graphene is a crystalline form of carbon defined as a hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms in a one-atom thick planar sheet. Graphene has outstanding properties (mainly mechanical strength, optical transparency and excellent electrical and heat conductivity) that make it an attractive material for electronics applications. Traditionally, graphene structures have been imaged with aberration-corrected TEM, AFM, or STM.

The combination of Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging and embedded microanalysis (EDS) offers the perfect combination of direct particle visualization and chemical information at the same time. The recent emergence of automated solutions and multi area analyses has brought this technique to the forefront of the available automated particle analysis solutions.

For people who are using the SEM for the first time. Includes topics such as What is the SEM, Observation  Examples, Specimen Preparation and Observation Technique, Functions of SEM's Individual Components, New Functions of SEM, Comparison of Scanning Electron Microscope with Optical Microscope and Transmission Electron Microscope, and Description of Terms.

SEM is a natural extension to viewing specimens with an optical microscope due in part to its inherent higher depth of field and ability to resolve smaller microstructures. Creating a 3-dimensional (3D) surface model can further enhance our understanding with specimens that have complex topographical features.

Auto tuning of aberration corrector

The field of single particle structure analysis (SPA) by cryo-electron microscopy reached new highs with the publication of a 1.19Å structure of apo-ferritin by Maki-Yonekura et al. obtained using a JEOL CRYO ARM™ 300 model 33001. This electron cryo-microscope was specifically designed for highly automated workflows capable of the unattended acquisition thousands of images of vitrified specimens. Workflow support of the JEOL CRYO ARM™ is available for SPA, batch tomography and microED.

Determining the near-atomic resolution structure of a biological macromolecule requires time on a high-end electron cryo-microscope. Depending on the local situation this could mean acquiring images of frozen-hydrated specimens on a JEOL CRYO ARM™ and/or another cryo microscope. To optimize inter-operability between different brands of cryo-microscopes, JEOL have investigated two related aspects: a) the reverse transfer, that is extracting frozen-hydrated specimens from one microscope to be transferred to another one, and b) the usability of a special cartridge designated as AG that are AutoGrid compatible.

JEOL SEMs are delivered with the capability for remote viewing and remote operation. The SEM computer includes a 2nd ethernet card for connection to your local area network. There is no need for a second support computer. Just connect your JEOL SEM computer to a reliable and fast broadband internet connection and choose the software platform that meets your remote access requirements.