Cryomicroscopy

Cryomicroscopy is a technique in which a microscope is equipped in such a fashion that the object intended to be inspected can be cooled to below room temperature. Technically, cryomicroscopy implies compatibility between a cryostat and a microscope. Most cryostats make use of a cryogenic fluid such as liquid helium or liquid nitrogen. There exists two common motivations for performing a cryomicroscopy. One is to improve upon the process of performing a standard microscopy. Cryogenic electron microscopy, for example, enables the studying of proteins with limited radiation damage. In this case, the protein structure may not change with temperature, but the cryogenic environment enables the improvement of the electron microscopy process. Another motivation for performing a cryomicroscopy is to apply the microscopy to a low-temperature phenomenon. A scanning tunnelling microscopy under a cryogenic environment, for example, allows for the studying of superconductivity, which does not exist at room temperature.