Quantifoil®

Our world-leading supports allow the cryo-EM community to focus on their results.

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Market-leading sample supports enable cryo-EM researchers to optimize data quality

Quantifoil Micro Tools GmbH pioneered the commercialization of perforated support films for electron microscopy with convenient predefined hole size, shape and arrangement. With more than 20 geometries on a full range of TEM grid materials and designs, the range of support foils provides high performance and flexibility to support diverse cryo-EM research needs.The growing product portfolio encompasses UltrAuFoil Holey gold supports on gold grids which, by reducing beam-induced motion, allow researchers to obtain higher quality structures of even the most challenging targets.

 

Quantifoil in the lab

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Thanks so much! We use quantifoil grids for both our cryoEM and our in situ cryoET. They are an essential part of our workflow!

— Dr Ben Engel, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

Market-leading cryo-electron microscopy support grids

With more than 20 film geometries available on a full range of TEM grid materials and designs, our range of support foils provides high performance and flexibility for diverse cryo-EM research needs.

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QUANTIFOIL®
QUANTIFOIL® Holey Carbon Supports for Cryo-EM

QUANTIFOIL Holey Carbon supports are a flat film of carbon, 10-12 nm thick, on a cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) grid, providing a low-background sample support for high-resolution cryo-EM data collection. Researchers can choose the optimum grid for any project from a comprehensive selection of hole shapes, sizes and spacings in combination with a range of base grid materials and mesh sizes. Grid options include standard square meshes as well as other arrangements and finder grid formats.

With thanks to Prof. Sai Li, Tsinghua University, tomogram of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus from data collected using Quantifoil Carbon R 2/2 on Cu 300 mesh. As seen in Yao et al, Cell 183: 730-738 (2020).

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UltrAuFoil®
ultra-stable gold supports for cryo-electron microscopy

Developed in collaboration with leading scientists, UltrAuFoil Holey Gold sample supports simplify structure determination even for challenging and small molecules. During imaging at cryogenic temperatures, traditional carbon supports move, particularly at the beginning of irradiation. This movement blurs images and reduces data quality. UltrAuFoil Holey Gold supports are more conductive, with no differential contraction between the grid and the foil on plunge freezing. This technical improvement minimizes any crinkling of the foil during sample preparation, substantially increasing data quality and efficiency.

Structure of Thermotoga maritima β-galactosidase solved using data collected on UltrAuFoil R 1.2/1.3 (Amil et al, ACS Chem Biol 15: 179-188, 2020). With thanks to Rafael Fernandez-Leiro, CNIO, Spain.

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Additional UltraThin Carbon Layer (UTC)
Improvements in specimen quality

An ultrathin (2-3 nm) carbon layer further enhances particle distribution and data quality when applied to both QUANTIFOIL Holey Carbon Films and UltrAuFoil Gold Supports.

Particle density is improved due to the ready adsorption of many biomolecules onto the carbon surface prior to blotting, which may also reduce the adoption of a preferred orientation. Researchers also benefit from improved particle distribution as particles can adsorb onto the carbon across the entire hole.

Most QUANTIFOIL Holey Carbon Film supports can be supplied with an additional carbon layer if required.

Structure of Helicobacter pylori outer membrane complex from data collected on Quantifoil Carbon R 2/2 on Cu 200 mesh with a 2 nm UTC. As described in Sheedlo et al, eLife 9: e59495 (2020).

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QUANTIFOIL® Active
Self-wicking grids for use exclusively with chameleon

QUANTIFOIL®️ Active grids are unique in being the first commercially produced grids with copper nano-wire covered bars to promote thin film formation through a process of “self-wicking”. This novel grid technology removes the variability of applying an externally applied filter paper to remove excess sample during blotting.

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