Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40055361›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Xenon plasma focused ion beam lamella fabrication on high-pressure frozen specimens for structural cell biology.

Casper Berger, Helena Watson, James H Naismith, Maud Dumoux, Michael Grange

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
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  5. Review
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  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Casper Berger *Structural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QS, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0705-3194
Helena Watson *Structural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QS, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0828-6782
James H NaismithStructural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QS, UK.
Maud DumouxStructural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QS, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1732-1041
Michael GrangeStructural Biology, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QS, UK. michael.grange@rfi.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2580-2299

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust (Wellcome) 220526/Z/20/ZWellcome Trust (Wellcome) 225902/Z/22/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cryo focused ion beam lamella preparation is a potent tool for in situ structural biology, enabling the study of macromolecules in their native cellular environments. However, throughput is currently limited, especially for thicker, more biologically complex samples. We describe how xenon plasma focused ion beam milling can be used for routine bulk milling of thicker, high-pressure frozen samples. We demonstrate lamellae preparation with a high success rate on these samples and determine a 4.0 Å structure of the Escherichia coli ribosome on these lamellae using sub volume averaging. We determine the effects on sample integrity of increased ion currents up to 60 nA during bulk milling of thicker planar samples, showing no measurable damage to macromolecules beyond an amorphous layer on the backside of the lamellae. The use of xenon results in substantial structural damage to particles up to approximately 30 nm in depth from the milled surfaces, and the effects of damage become negligibly small by 45 nm. Our results outline how the use of high currents using xenon plasma focused ion beam milling may be integrated into FIB milling regimes for preparing thin lamellae for high-resolution in situ structural biology.

Indexed as

Cryoelectron MicroscopyPlasma GasesXenonEscherichia coliFreezingPressureRibosomesPlasma GasesXenon

Identifiers

PMID40055361
PMCPMC11889171

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.