General Lab Information

Laboratory for Biomolecular Structure

Laboratory

The LBMS offers access to sample preparation laboratories to advance your research activities on our microscopes. The following list outlines the most prominent equipment within the sample preparation laboratories. If you need more technical information about existing equipment or if you are inquiring about other available equipment, please contact Liguo Wang, Director for Scientific Operations, (631) 344-7011.

instrument photo

Vitrobot MK IV

The Thermo Scientific™ Vitrobot Mk IV is a fully computer-controlled device for cryo-sample preparation.

  • Temperature: 4-60 oC
  • Humidity: room conditions to 100% relative humidity
  • Number of blotting actions: 16 per filter paper on foam pad.
instrument photo

PELCO Glow Discharge system

Applying a potential difference (of a few 100 V to a few kV) between two electrodes, electrons that are emitted from the cathode are accelerated away from the cathode, and give rise to collisions with the gas atoms or molecules in a chamber (a few mTorr to 1 atm). The collisions give rise to excited species, which can decay to lower levels by the emission of light. This process makes that a gas discharge plasma typically emits a characteristic glow (and is therefore also called “glow” discharge).

instrument photo

Cryo Workstation

The cryo workstation provides a protected environment for loading the frozen-hydrated specimen. A one-piece cryo shield encapsulates the frozen-hydrated grid protecting it from contamination during atmospheric transfers from the cryo workstation to the electron microscope.

instrument photo

Cryo Holder

The Gatan 626 single tilt liquid nitrogen cryo transfer holder is designed for low temperature transfer and subsequent recording of radiation-sensitive, frozen-hydrated specimens for cryo-EM and cryo-ET.

instrument photo

Carbon Coater

The 208C High Vacuum Turbo Carbon Coater offers high quality carbon coating techniques for TEM, STEM, SEM, EDS/WDS, EBSD and microprobe applications.

  • Voltage controlled rod source gives multiple evaporation capabilities
  • Feedback loop enables precise and consistent coating thickness
  • Choice of operation methods for optimized operation
  • Automatic evaporation control gives ease of use in busy environments Low cost
  • 80 ltr/sec turbo pump on a 150mm diameter chamber gives rapid pumpdown Optional Dry Scroll Pump available.
instrument photo

Dry Pumping Station

The Gatan 655 Dry Pumping Station is a completely self-contained, compact, light-weight, benchtop pumping station. It incorporates the latest diaphragm pump and molecular drag pump technologies to produce a clean, dry vacuum in the low 10-6 Torr range.