EM GP2 Automatic Plunge Freezer

Description

The EM GP2 from Leica Microsystems is an automated instrument for plunge freezing, a technique used to prepare fluid or ultrathin samples for electron microscopy. It functions by automatically blotting excess fluid from a sample mounted on an EM grid before rapidly immersing it in a cryogen such as liquid ethane. This rapid cooling is essential for vitrification, a process that preserves biological specimens in a glass-like, hydrated state without the formation of disruptive ice crystals. By maintaining native ultrastructure, the method is critical for high-resolution imaging in fields like neuroscience and cell biology. The automation of the plunge freezing procedure is intended to enhance consistency and reproducibility in sample preparation workflows for techniques including cryo-electron microscopy.