Preventing in-chamber ice contamination using Delmic CERES Ice Shield

During lamella preparation for the cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET) workflow, a major limiting factor is the build-up of amorphous ice on the sample in the cryo-FIB/SEM chamber. Even at high vacuum, water molecules in the chamber will deposit on the sample over time. This type of contamination of the sample occurs at a relatively low rate, but since the process of lamellae fabrication requires a lot of time, it results in a significant build-up of ice. The layer of amorphous ice on the lamella negatively impacts the quality of the final tomogram, making it difficult to produce high-quality data.

In this webinar, our Application Specialist, Caspar Jonker, will explain the concept of in-chamber ice contamination and present our unique solution: CERES Ice Shield. The CERES Ice Shield, which is a part of the CERES Ice Defence system, significantly reduces the contamination of the sample in the chamber during lamella milling, improving the overall quality of the lamellae that can be obtained for cryo-ET. We will be joined by Dr. Sebastian Tacke from Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, who was at the forefront of developing the prototype of CERES Ice Defence System. Our speakers will join forces to answer your questions regarding ice contamination and the solution!