Jeol is offering commercially available thin-film phase-plate technology to life-science customers.
This technology is claimed to improve the imaging performance of transmission electron microscopes (TEMs).
The thin-film phase plate is particularly suitable for those involved in cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography.
The phase-contrast imaging capability of a phase-plate-outfitted Jeol TEM increases specimen contrast by orders of magnitude.
While phase-plate technology is an accepted tool for live cell imaging with the light microscope (LM), it is a novel approach to imaging with the TEM.
Similar to the LM application, the TEM application employs a phase plate that shifts the phase of only the scattered electrons, resulting in amplitude contrast rather than phase contrast, as these electrons interfere with the unscattered electrons in the image plane.
'Nearly perfect phase-contrast specimens, such as frozen-hydrated samples, can now be imaged with superior contrast, which greatly benefits studies where the image contrast is a limiting factor, such as single-particle imaging and tomography,' said Dr Jaap Brink, Jeol's TEM product manager.
The phase-plate imaging technique is also said to be effective in the fields of applied sciences and research and development.
Extensive research has led to the further development of phase-plate technology at the laboratory of Prof Kuniaki Nagayama, director and professor of Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience in Japan.
Nagayama and his colleagues have illustrated the potential for the routine phase-contrast TEM imaging of frozen-hydrated macromolecules.
Using custom software, they have applied the phase-plate imaging to cryo-tomography.
Jeol claims that its TEM columns are optimally designed for phase-contrast cryo-electron tomography as they are able to easily customise the imaging parameters.
Developments have led to continuously heated phase-plate holders with piezo drives and software for the precise positioning of the phase plate and zero loss energy filtering through an in-column Omega filter.
Over the past few months, Jeol USA has seen an increase in orders for its biological TEMs, especially its 200keV and 300keV models.
Collaborative partnerships between these researchers and Jeol USA are aimed at maximising the efficacy of the phase-plate technology.
