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Vitrobot

What is it?
A sample preparation robot for Cryo Transmission Electron Microscopy.

What does it do?
It freezes bacteria, viruses and other biological structures in their natural habitat so they can be examined with Cry Transmission Electron Microscopy. By flash-freezing samples in ethane cooled to -183 degrees Celsius, you can prevent the formation of crystals and improve the visibility of the organisms. The better the sample, the more information that can be derived from it.

Why do we need it?
All those involved in the food industry, nanotechnology and pharmacology hope to study organisms and structures in their natural habitats. What happens to cells during the food preparation process? Do some structures break down and therefore lose nutritional value? How do certain medicinal substances dissolve in water?

What are the advantages?
Before the arrival of the Vitrobot these samples were obtained by hand, making it a strongly variable and therefore lower quality process. It is also dangerous to work with ethane frozen to -183 degrees (it can cause serious burns). Whereas half of the samples prepared by hand failed, the Vitrobot can prepare a greater volume of samples of consistently high quality.

Any additional features?
Maastricht Instruments developed the Vitrobot based on the process proposed by Dr Peter Frederik. AIM produces the devices and FEI distributes them. MI is currently busy developing the sixth version of the Vitrobot.

What do we think?
"Every TEM electron microscope should have a Vitrobot next to it. This method of sample preparation can also be used for research on various materials, like rubbers for instance," says March Schoenmakers, commercial director at Maastricht Instruments.

 

Vitrobot

What is it?
A sample preparation robot for Cryo Transmission Electron Microscopy.

What does it do?
It freezes bacteria, viruses and other biological structures in their natural habitat so they can be examined with Cry Transmission Electron Microscopy. By flash-freezing samples in ethane cooled to -183 degrees Celsius, you can prevent the formation of crystals and improve the visibility of the organisms. The better the sample, the more information that can be derived from it.

Why do we need it?
All those involved in the food industry, nanotechnology and pharmacology hope to study organisms and structures in their natural habitats. What happens to cells during the food preparation process? Do some structures break down and therefore lose nutritional value? How do certain medicinal substances dissolve in water?

What are the advantages?
Before the arrival of the Vitrobot these samples were obtained by hand, making it a strongly variable and therefore lower quality process. It is also dangerous to work with ethane frozen to -183 degrees (it can cause serious burns). Whereas half of the samples prepared by hand failed, the Vitrobot can prepare a greater volume of samples of consistently high quality.

Any additional features?
Maastricht Instruments developed the Vitrobot based on the process proposed by Dr Peter Frederik. AIM produces the devices and FEI distributes them. MI is currently busy developing the sixth version of the Vitrobot.

What do we think?
"Every TEM electron microscope should have a Vitrobot next to it. This method of sample preparation can also be used for research on various materials, like rubbers for instance," says March Schoenmakers, commercial director at Maastricht Instruments.