FEI’s next-gen cryo sample prep tool designed for ease of use


The Vitrobot Mark IV features a touchscreen interface. (Photo: FEI Company)

July 16, 2007 — FEI Company has introduced the next generation of its popular Vitrobot cryo sample preparation tool, the Vitrobot Mark IV. The Mark IV, designed for easy use, features a newly-designed touchscreen user interface operated under Linux and robotics that promise high-quality, reproducible freezing of samples. FEI says that automated transfer from the vitrification medium into the liquid nitrogen atmosphere offers more consistent and higher yield sample throughput.

Three-dimensional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) visualization of macromolecular structures and molecular machines in their native hydrated state has become critical for structural biologists focusing on interactive biological and biochemical processes at the macromolecular level. The Vitrobot is a high-throughput tool designed to enable the physical fixation of biological structures within ultra-thin vitrified ice layers so samples can withstand the high voltages used in TEMs long enough to acquire the necessary image.

Beyond biological applications, the Vitrobot Mark IV can also be used for pharmaceutical, food and a variety of general industrial applications where colloidal structures need to be characterized and analyzed.

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