title: An improved cryogen for plunge freezing.
abstract: The use of an alkane mixture that remains liquid at 77 K to freeze specimens has advantages over the use of a pure alkane that is solid at 77 K. It was found that a mixture of methane and ethane did not give a cooling rate adequate to produce vitreous ice, but a mixture of propane and ethane did result in vitreous ice. Furthermore, the latter mixture produced less damage to specimens mounted on a very thin, fragile holey carbon substrate.
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Broad Center, MC 114-96, 1201 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. tivol@caltech.edu
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Tivol
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Briegel
authors.forename: Grant J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004980:Ethane; D005615:Freezing; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008697:Methane; D011407:Propane
chemical_list: D004980:Ethane; D008697:Methane; D011407:Propane
references.citation: Science. 2006 Sep 15;313(5793):1620-2
references.pmid: 16973876
references.citation: Mol Microbiol. 2008 Jul;69(1):30-41
references.pmid: 18363791