Obtain high-quality Cryo-EM samples with an optimized workflow by minimizing ice contamination.
CERES Ice Defence
Discover the CERES system
The CERES Ice Defense System was created to help researchers in the field of Cryo-ET obtain better quality EM data more quickly.
CERES is the result of a close partnership between DELMIC Cryo and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund, Germany. CERES embodies not only innovations, but also high-quality engineering. With this system Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET users can benefit from unprecedented high sample throughput.
Cryo-ET is an excellent tool for understanding the constituent elements of specimens in life science due to its high efficiency in preserving biological samples in their near-native state at atomic resolution. By gaining insight into the structure and organization of biomolecules, we can also better understand how they work and how to target specific mechanisms leading to smarter medicine.
Obtain higher quality Cryo-EM and Cryo-electron tomography (Cryo-ET) results, throughput and optimized resolution.
Obtain constituent results from your life science specimens more easily with the innovative CERES series.
Cryo R&D story, episode 1: How did Delmic cryo innovation begin?
Cryo R&D story, episode 3: Redefining cryo sample transfer workflow with our new transfer mechanism
Delmic’s “Cryo Workflow Tools” license, developed in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute.
Compared to conventional optical microscopy, cryo-electron tomography is a powerful tool that provides powerful information on cellular structure, revealing high-resolution 3D views of biological samples such as large macromolecules. First, the samples are frozen by very rapid freezing, at extreme temperatures below -150°C. These cryogenic conditions allow samples to be studied without chemical fixation or dehydration, thereby preventing distortion or disruption of the sample's biological structures.
However, specimen preparation and handling are very complex because crystalline gel formation can compromise the structural integrity of the sample. Sebastian Tacke and his collaborators from the MPI (Max Planck Institut) in Dortmund, have developed an innovative Cryo-ET (Cryo Electron Tomography) technology, today marketed by the Dutch company Delmic, which specializes in solutions for optical microscopy and electronic. The new set of these powerful cryo solutions aims to simplify and increase efficiency in the preparation phase involving Cryo-ET samples.
The “Cryo Workflow Tools” kit is named “CERES Ice Defense”. Whether used together or separately, the Anti-Contaminator, Glove Box and High Vacuum Cryo Transfer aim to minimize contamination during cryo FIB slide preparation. The anti-contaminator (CERES Ice Shield) consists of a Cryo shutter, which is cooled with liquid nitrogen. It provides a cooler surface near the Cryo sample and prevents any residual moisture from condensing in the chamber, and therefore drastically reduces unwanted ice formation on the sample. The glove box (CERES Clean Station) can be used to prepare cryogenically frozen samples for Cryo-FIB (Focused Ion Bean) and Cryo-SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) with minimal ice contamination, thanks to a humidity level of less than 1%. The High Vacuum Cryo Transfer Module (CERES Vitri-Lock) was designed to transfer samples under high vacuum between the preparation station and the cryo-SEM, to minimize ice contamination during transfer. The CERES Ice Defense System has already been sold to several research groups and will be officially launched in March 2021.
“We are very pleased to partner with the Max Planck Institute in Dortmund to make these innovative tools available to researchers in the field of cryo-EM. The tools fit perfectly with Delmic's mission, which aims to facilitate the experiments of our life science researchers using cryo-ET,” says Dr. Katherine Lau, Head of Sales at Delmic. Cryo.
“This successful collaboration from academia to industry is an excellent example of how fundamental research can be transferred to the development of innovative technologies, thereby enhancing the acquisition of new knowledge in the life sciences and beyond, says Professor Dr. Stefan Raunser, director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology.
“With Delmic, we have found an innovation-driven company that offers high-performance microscopy solutions for research. MPI's innovation for molecular physiology fits perfectly into Delmic's product portfolio and will further simplify Cryo-ET research to better understand organisms in life science. We are happy about the partnership and look forward to the product launch,” says Dr. Ingrid Kapser-Fischer, Head of Patents and Licensing at Max Planck Innovation, the technology transfer organization of the Max Planck Society.
About Professor Stefan Raunser's research at MPI
The Raunser department studies structural and functional studies of macromolecular protein complexes. The primary focus is on important biological questions regarding processes on or in the cell membrane, the molecular details of muscle contraction, and the mechanisms of action of bacterial toxin complexes. The structural analysis of protein complexes is mainly carried out by Cryo electron microscopy. Larger biological samples, such as muscle tissue, are examined using electron cryo-tomography.
Other CERES products
CERES Clean Station
The first tailor-made preparation station dedicated to Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM)
CERES Vitri-Lock
A high vacuum cryogenic transfer module that allows the safe transfer of your cryogenic samples without ice contamination
CERES Ice Shield
Provides the ultimate protection against ice contamination during coverslip preparation