A Rapid Method for Electron Microscopic Examination of Biological Specimens
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of a method which reduces the sample preparation time for transmission electron microscopy studies to about one minute.The relatively simple procedure is as follows: When a sample is desired, place 1 mℓ test solution in a 2-5 mℓ container, add 0.1 mℓ of a solution of 0.3 mg/mℓ fibrinogen, immediately insert a 400 mesh E.M. grid held by forceps, withdraw immediately, blot (at the tweezer tip-grid contact point) with filter paper, blow dry with a lab drier, add one drop of stain (2% urinal acetate), blot and blow dry in the above manner. Then immediately insert in the pre-pump chamber of the E.M.The above process has been used by the author in a variety of biological applications, from studies of fibrin growth from fibrinogen to identification of unknown viruses. The accompaning figures for T4, bacteriophage are given simply to demonstrate the method.