UW-Madison researchers have developed a microfluidic flow cell for EM sample grid preparation. The two-piece device was designed so that EM substrates (grids or disks) could be placed within a central well bisected by fluid flow channels that currently enable uni-directional flow of media, physiological buffers, or other solutes over the EM substrate. Importantly, the device includes a glass coverslip to support live-cell imaging of the specimen over time.
This invention enables live-cell imaging (e.g., light microscopy) of biological materials (e.g., cells, organoids, tissue) after their growth and expansion in a liquid environment that mimics their native environment while preserving them for subsequent analysis via cryo-EM, data processing, and analysis (e.g., reconstruction).