Optimizing Cryo-FIB Lamellas for sub-5Å in situ Structural Biology

Abstract

Abstract We here present a method based on metallic platinum sputtering that can substantially enhance the quality of subtomogram averages from lamellas and thereby reduce the number of particles needed for high-resolution subtomogram averaging. We provide evidence for the physical background of this improvement and demonstrate its usefulness by producing sub-5Å ribosome averages from yeast.