Magnetic beads method dramatically improves cryo-EM's imaging capabilities

Sample loss has been a persistent problem in cryo-EM, a high-tech method for creating 3D models of molecules that reveal their inner structures. It occurs during an essential step of imaging preparation, when a sample is blotted with a filter to remove excess liquid. Frequently, much of the sample transfers to the filter, leaving little to nothing behind on the imaging platform for the electron camera to capture.