JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments
Microbiology
0 views • 4:05 min • September 30th, 2026
Inside a biocontainment cabinet, aspirate a highly contagious viral suspension into a capsule containing TEM grids.
Incubate horizontally to help viruses adhere evenly across the grid.
Remove the suspension with unbound viruses, then add a fixative to crosslink proteins, which preserves viral structure and reduces infectivity.
After incubation, wash to remove residual fixative.
Add an electron-dense negative stain, which binds to the grids surrounding the virus and enhances contrast during imaging.
Remove the pipette and blot the grids to eliminate excess stain.
Place the capsule into a centrifuge tube with osmium tetroxide-soaked filter paper, then seal the tube and incubate for vapor fixation.
Osmium tetroxide stabilizes lipid membrane structure, improves imaging contrast, and completely inactivates the virus, allowing safe transfer outside the biocontainment.
Inside a TEM facility, rinse the grids, let them air-dry, and store them for imaging.
This method ensures safer handling of viral samples and eases specimen preparation.
To begin, attach the capsule to a pipette. Aspirate 40 microliters of virus suspension into the capsule. Place the pipette on its side, with the grids oriented horiz
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