Virus is a class of tiny sub-microscopic, intracellular specialized parasitic non-cellular organisms, the size range of only 20-200 nm, therefore, to understand the morphology and structure of viruses and other information, it is necessary to use the electron microscope observation. For this reason, electron microscopy is an important and indispensable tool in virology research. Source: Virology Testing
Operation method
Preparation of the carrier network and supporting membranes
Principle
Because the energy of the electron is very weak, the electron beam can not pass through the glass, so the specimen used for transmission electron microscopy observation can not be placed on the slide, especially the virus droplet specimens or viral cell cultures of ultrathin slices of the specimen should be placed on a very thin layer of support film. The thickness of the support film is generally 10~15nm. The support film is attached to a carrier mesh made of copper or baht with a diameter of 3mm.
Materials and Instruments
Copper mesh Move 1. Preparation of carrier mesh Most of the carrier mesh is made of copper sheet corroded by special method, so it is also called copper mesh. Due to the number of holes, it can be divided into: 400 mesh, 200 mesh, 100 mesh, 50 mesh or single hole copper mesh. Copper mesh can be purchased at specialty supply stores. If used for cytochemistry or immunocytochemistry specimens, it is best to use brocade mesh, because copper mesh will produce chemical reactions and affect the results. The carrier mesh must be rigorously washed to remove dirt from the mesh before use. 2. Preparation of support film The film attached to the carrier mesh is called the support film. The role of the support film is to support the specimen so that it can be attached and stabilized. This layer of support film is very thin, the electron is easy to pass through, there is enough mechanical strength, resistance to electron beam bombardment, itself without any structure and chemical stability of biological specimens. The most commonly used support film for the organic material film, especially with polyvinyl alcohol formaldehyde (Formvar) and fire cotton glue for the most. It can be dissolved in volatile organic solvents. In recent years, many laboratories at home and abroad in the use of copper mesh fishing bearing ultra-thin sections, no longer in the copper mesh on a layer of supportive film, but with no supportive film of copper mesh directly fishing slices, without the support of the film of copper mesh can be firmly adsorbed ultra-thin sections, and in the electron microscope under the cell structure is more clear. The copper mesh without support film can be used to attach ultrathin sections as long as it is soaked in anhydrous ethanol or acetone and left to dry. For more product details, please visit Aladdin Scientific website.
Polyvinyl alcohol formaldehyde (Formvar) or fire wool adhesive