Newly developed ultrastable gold supports for electron cryomicroscopy will reduce the movement of frozen specimens during imaging. This improves image contrast and quality leading to better 3D reconstructions with less data.
During imaging at cryo-temperatures, traditional carbon supports move, particularly at the beginning of irradiation. This movement blurs images and makes it difficult to determine the structures of small and challenging molecules.
UltrAuFoilswere designed at MRC's Laboratory of Molecular Biology by Dr. Christopher J. Russo and Dr. Lori A. Passmore.