Fast Reliable Reproducible F E AT U R E S ♦ Closed flow system provides clean conditions and exclusion of air While Minimizing.. Sample Contamination Solution Waste ♦ Staining procedures are reliable and reproducible The Need Since most organic materials produce only low-contrast results in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), staining procedures are needed to increase the image contrast. Staining involves treatment with solutions that contain heavy metal salts (e.g. uranium, lead, osmium or tungsten), which attach to certain cellular components (peptides, lipids, nucleic acids etc.). These salts contain ions with a high number of protons. When the electron beam passes through a sample area decorated with such ions, it increases image contrast. sample. Therefore, the staining process must exclude atmospheric air. In many labs, TEM staining is accomplished by hand. The grids are placed on small drops of staining solutions and washed between and after staining steps. It is very difficult to avoid contamination. Many samples are discarded. Processing grids by hand is also very time consuming, and the number of grids that can be stained simultaneously is limited. Furthermore, manual staining increases the risk of exposing the user to potentially harmful substances. ♦ Exposure to staining solutions is minimized ♦ Extremely low operation costs ♦ Individual staining procedures may be easily configured Solution: QG-3100 The QG-3100 automatic stainer increases both the staining quality and the yield by minimizing contamination, while saving time and reducing waste. Epidermis of Phoronida, stained with lead citrate and uranyl acetate: A) using TEM Stainer, B) manual staining: precipitate of uranyl acetate C) manual staining: of lead citrate D) dust particles Problems With Manual Staining All TEM preparation procedures require very clean conditions, as even minor contaminations are visible in the high magnifications of the TEM. Lead citrate solutions are very sensitive to exposure to carbon dioxide, because this results in a precipitation of fine particles of lead carbonate, which instantly damages the Through the unit’s unique design, which uses a peristaltic pump and pinch valves, the solutions are isolated to the tubing and grid chamber. Liquids flow in only one direction. In addition to minimizing contamination, this design significantly reduces the time and waste associated with other techniques. ♦ Simple maintenance due to freely accessible tubing and valves Open, Flexible Design All components exposed to the staining solutions are easy to replace. Maintenance is simple and may be performed by the user. Extra input and output channels, freely programmable routines and an exchangeable grid chamber allows the realization of various laboratory tasks (e.g. graded ethanol series). 4650 S. Butterfield Drive • Tucson, Arizona 85714 USA Phone: 520.745.0001 • Fax: 520.745.0004 • E-mail: [email protected] • www.rmcboeckeler.com © 2015 Boeckeler Instruments, Inc. Boeckeler is a registered trademark of Boeckeler Instruments, Inc., Tucson, Arizona. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All specifications subject to change without notice.

Staining c osts (per staining) Lead citrate solution Very low costs, since the user can buy these solutions in their raw form from any chemistry dealer. No expensive pre-packaged chemicals are required. Uranyl acetate solution Waste (per staining, using default protocols) Waste lead citrate / H2O Waste uranyl acetate / H2O Processing times Wash cycle time Other Standard grid holder Heatable staining chamber Staining times customizable Freely programmable staining and processing protocols Optional inputs for alternative staining/washing solutions user interaction possible at any time, may continue...