| ETHANE | % | K | HOMEMADE PLUNGER | A small vial of ethane is placed inside a larger liquid nitrogen reservoir. The grid holding 3 microliters of the sample is held in place at the bottom of a plunger by the means of fine tweezers. When the liquid ethane is ready, a piece of filter paper is then pressed against the sample to blot off excess buffer, sufficient to leave a thin layer on the grid. The filter paper is removed, and the plunger is allowed to drop into the liquid ethane. Once the grid enters the liquid ethane, the sample is rapidly frozen, and the grid is transferred under liquid nitrogen to a storage box immersed in liquid nitrogen for later use in the microscope. | ms | Vitrification instrument: Guillotine |
