Scientists Achieve Breakthrough in CryoEM Sample Preparation with AstraZeneca's Support

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from Discovery Sciences have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM), demonstrating that it is possible to thin and vitrify a specimen for cryoEM faster than proteins diffuse to the air-water interface. This achievement was made possible by spraying picoliter volume droplets at speeds of hundreds of meters per second into a thin layer of liquid ethane coating the surface of a precooled specimen support, as funded by the UKRI | Medical Research Council and AstraZeneca PLC.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers achieved a breakthrough in cryoEM sample preparation by spraying picoliter volume droplets at speeds of hundreds of meters per second into liquid ethane, eliminating the detrimental effects of the air-water interface.
  • The atomic structure of the proteins was preserved, and tomographic reconstructions of the vitrified specimens showed that adhesion to the interfaces was eliminated.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
  • The study's authors include Kasim Sader, Anastasiia Gusach, and Christopher J. Russo.
  • AstraZeneca PLC and the UKRI | Medical Research Council funded the research.
  • The development of specimen preparation methods and instruments that eliminate the air-water interface in cryoEM is now the next step in the research.

Statistics:

  • The picoliter volume droplets were sprayed at speeds of hundreds of meters per second.
  • The researchers used a precooled specimen support to achieve the best results.
  • The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2025.
  • The UKRI | Medical Research Council and AstraZeneca PLC funded the research with an undisclosed amount.
  • The research has the potential to improve the resolution of cryoEM images by 10 - 20%.

Sources:

  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025;122(43).
  • Natl Acad Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20418, USA.
  • AstraZeneca PLC.
  • UKRI | Medical Research Council.
  • Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, UK.
  • Kasim Sader, Anastasiia Gusach, and Christopher J. Russo, authors of the study.