Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41730344›Full record

ArticleJournal of structural biology2026

"QuickStainer": a rapid negative staining device for improved preservation of molecular structure.

Vu Nguyen, Ruchi Gautam, Arun Kumar Somavarapu, Debabrata Dutta, Aditya Patra, Jinghua Ge, Christopher M Yengo, Raúl Padrón, Roger Craig

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of structural biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Vu NguyenDivision of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Ruchi GautamDivision of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Arun Kumar SomavarapuDivision of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Debabrata DuttaDivision of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Aditya PatraDivision of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Jinghua GeDepartment of Cell and Biological Systems, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Christopher M YengoDepartment of Cell and Biological Systems, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Raúl PadrónDivision of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Roger CraigDivision of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA. Electronic address: roger.craig@umassmed.edu.

Funding

Impact of dilated cardiomyopathy mutations on cardiac myosin structure and functionR01HL163585 · NHLBI · PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV HERSHEY MED CTR · PI Sivaraj Sivaramakrishnan, David M Warshaw · 2023 to 2026
$3.0M
Structural basis of the super-relaxed state in human cardiac muscleR01HL164560 · NHLBI · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI PADRON, RAUL · 2022 to 2025
$2.8M
Research supplement to promote diversity in Heath-related researchR01HL150953 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · PI SIVARAMAKRISHNAN, SIVARAJ, WARSHAW, DAVID M · 2020 to 2023
$2.4M
Dissecting the structural origin of relaxation in skeletal muscleR01AR081941 · NIAMS · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI Raul Padron · 2023 to 2026
$2.2M
NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL150953NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL163585NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL164560NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR081941
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Negative staining is a widely used technique for observing macromolecules and their assemblies by transmission electron microscopy. It is commonly employed to optimize specimens for cryo-EM. The stain, typically a uranyl salt, surrounds the structure, providing an outline view at about 20 Å resolution. Many macromolecules are relatively stable and rigid, and negative stain images provide a good representation of their structure. However, some are labile or flexible and their structure or assembly state is altered by binding to the carbon substrate on the grid before specimen staining. In these cases, the negatively stained appearance does not faithfully represent the structure in solution. This problem is reduced when samples are incubated on the carbon surface for short times (5 s) rather than typical times (30-60 s) before staining. To reduce disruption to a minimum, we have developed a rapid negative staining device (QuickStainer) using 3D-printed components, a stepper motor for precisely timed movements, and an Arduino-controlled interface to execute commands. QuickStainer produces consistent sample incubation times as low as 10 ms before staining. Tests show rapid adherence of molecules to the grid and greatly improved structural preservation of labile specimens compared with standard preparation protocols. The design of QuickStainer can accommodate inclusion of additional steps, such as timed incubation with enzyme substrate, before staining.

Indexed as

Cryoelectron MicroscopyNegative StainingMacromolecular SubstancesMicroscopy, Electron, TransmissionStaining and LabelingMacromolecular Substances

Identifiers

PMID41730344
PMCPMC13065518

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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.