Fast freezing device

Abstract

SUMMARY A fast freezing device for cryofixation of biological material, without cryoprotection, has been developed based on metal freezing (Van Harreveld et al., 1964, 1974) combined with preceding sectioning (Bernard & Krigman, 1974; Van Harreveld & Fifkova, 1975) as well as freeze sectioning and freeze‐etch replication (Dempsey & Bullivant, 1976).

A simple freeze‐drying technique for preparing biological tissue without chemical fixation for electron microscopy

“…Freeze-drying is carried out as follows: (a) Native biological material is cryofixed on a cooled metal surface (Van Harreveld & Crowell, 1964;Coulter & Terracio, 1977;Sitte et al, 1977). (b) Small drops (diameter of 1.5 mm) of evacuated 1.3 Pa 10 min) Spurr's resin (Spurr, 1968) are frozen on a polished copper surface at 77 K and stored in liquid nitrogen.…”

The construction and operation of a simple inexpensive slam freezing device for electron microscopy

“…Silver or copper blocks of high purity cooled with liquid helium (Heuser et al, 1979;Escaig, 1982) give the best results, but liquid helium is expensive and not available in many laboratories. On the other hand, good results can be obtained using copper or silver blocks cooled with liquid nitrogen (Van Harreveld et a Sitte et al, 1977;Heuser et al, 1979;Boyne, 1979;Escaig, 1982;Verna, 1983).…”