Cryo Preparation

Cryo Preparation.
High pressure freezing

Leica EM HPM100, a High Pressure Freezer

(Leica Microsystems)

Location: Room 1411.2 

High Pressure Freezing (HPF) is the way to localise or characterise organelles, subcellular components and gene products in EM without the disadvantages of classical fixation methods:

  • HPF gives better structural preservation and retains antigenicity far better than conventional chemical fixation.
  • The Leica EM HPM100 is a high pressure freezing system for vitrifying samples up to 200 µm in thickness.
Freeze substitution

Leica EM AFS Freeze substitution unit

Leica EM AFS2 Automated freeze substitution unit

(Leica Microsystems)

Location: Room 1411.2 

The Leica EM AFS2 performs freeze substitution and progressive lowering of temperature (PLT) techniques and allows low temperature embedding and polymerization of resins. 



The Leica EM FSP (freeze substitution processor), an automatic reagent handling system combined with the Leica EM AFS2, dispenses reagents for both freeze substitution and PLT applications. 

Plunge Freezer

Leica EM GP, Automatic Plunge Freezer for the Bare Grid Technique

(Leica Microsystems)

Location: Room 1411.2 

For the preparation of vitrified fluid samples or extremely thin samples for cryo-TEM, including biological suspensions and industrial emulsions in both, aqueous and inorganic solvents. 



The Leica EM GP plunge freezes samples into liquid ethane after removing excess fluid by automatic blotting. This is the bare grid technique. Prior to freezing the sample is maintained in a temperature and humidity controlled environmental chamber, adjustable between +4°C and +60°C and room humidity to 99%. 



The EM GP can be used to plunge freeze samples not only on EM grids, but also sapphire discs and samples in freeze fracture planchettes. 



Please contact CryoEM personnel for details of use.

Ultramicrotome for cryosectioning

Low temperature sectioning system for biological and industrial samples at temperatures as low as -185°C. The Leica EM FCS cryo-chamber is installed onto the Ultracut UCT. Sections can be made on either glass or diamond knives.

Leica ultracut UCT ultramicrotome

FCS cryochamber 

(Leica Microsystems) 



Location: Room 1412 

Diatome Static Line II ionizator

(Haug Gmbh & Co. Switzerland)

Diatome cryotrim & cryoP diamond knives (Diatome, Switzerland)