Channels

 

Special Offers & Promotions

 

 

Latest News

 

 

View Channel

New Products

 

 

View Channel

Video Presentations

 

 

View Channel

Separation Science

 

 

View Channel

Microscopy & Image Analysis

 

 

View Channel

Laboratory Automation & IT Solutions

 

 

View Channel

 

The Agricultural Research Service of the USDA uses a Quorum Cryo-SEM Preparation System for the Study of Mites, Ticks and Other Soft Bodied Organisms

publication date: Dec 13, 2016
 | 
author/source: Quorum Technologies Ltd

Quorum Technologies, market and technology leaders in electron microscopy coating and cryogenic preparation products, report on the work of the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture where their PP2000 Cryo-SEM preparation system is in use to prepare soft bodied organisms including mites & ticks for study using cryo-SEM 

Gary Bauchan, Director, Electron & Confocal Microscopy Unit, USDA-ARS inserts mite specimens into the Quorum PP2000 Cryo-Prep ChamberDr Gary Bauchan is the Director of the Electron and Confocal Microscopy Unit at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Unit is a core facility with the responsibility of providing collaborative assistance to scientists from ARS, Northeast Area and Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) who have microscopy applications that require high resolution imaging. Dr Bauchan’s team have produced images using electron microscopes of bacteria, fungi, mites, insects, nematodes and parasites along with plant and animal tissues both healthy and diseased. One of his major collaborations is with Dr Ron Ochoa, the world's expert on plant feeding mites. 

Biological specimens require special treatment due to the high water content of the samples. Many of the specimens are in liquid cultures or are very soft-bodied and by using classical preparative techniques will either destroy the specimen or distort the specimen producing artefacts. A cryo-prep system is an ultra-fast method to ready the specimens for observation in a SEM especially a high resolution field emission SEM. Thus, specimens are frozen in time to allow for observation of feeding behaviour, mating behaviour, host/parasite interactions, etc. It preserves the natural orientation of ultrafine structures such as setae, antenna, legs, skin texture, sensory organs, waxy coatings and eggs. 

Asked about his experience using a Quorum PP2000 Cryo-SEM preparation system on the Hitachi S-4700 field emission scanning electron microscope, Dr Bauchan said “The Quorum system is easy to use, the set-up for imaging is logical, durable, reliable, and maintains ultra-low temperatures for a long period of time. Holders containing pre-frozen samples are transferred into the cryo-prep chamber where they are etched to remove any surface contamination (condensed water vapour) by raising the temperature of the stage from -130 ºC  to -90 °C for 10-15 minutes. Following etching, the temperature inside the chamber was lowered below -130 °C, and the specimens were coated with a 10 nm layer of platinum using a magnetron sputter head equipped with a platinum target. The specimens were transferred to a pre-cooled (-130 °C) cryo-stage in the SEM for observation.” 

The system has been used in multiple projects by the Unit, many of which have been published with the generation of stunning, colourful images. The use of low temperature SEM has been shown time and again to be the best method for the examination of microscopic biological specimens and their ultrastructure. The work in conjunction with Dr Ochoa has been particularly productive with five papers published this year to date. These have focused on the field of acarology, a branch of zoology dealing with the study of mites and ticks. 

The PP2000 is one of Quorum's highly automated, easy-to-use, column-mounted, gas-cooled cryo-SEM preparation systems suitable for most makes and models of SEM, FE-SEM and FIB/SEM.


more about quorum technologies


more news from quorum technologies


 


If you have not logged into the website then please enter your details below.



 

Subscribe to any of our newsletters for the latest on new laboratory products, industry news, case studies and much more!

Newsletters from Lab Bulletin

 

Request your free copies HERE

 

 

 

Popular this Month

Top 10 most popular articles this month

 

 

Today's Picks

 


 

Looking for a Supplier?

Search by company or by product

 


Company Name:

Product:


 

 

 

 

Please note Lab Bulletin does not sell, supply any of the products featured on this website. If you have an enquiry, please use the contact form below the article or company profile and we will send your request to the supplier so that they can contact you directly.

Lab Bulletin is published by newleaf marketing communications ltd.


 

Media Partners

 

Exhibitions & Events