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The preparation of 2D crystals, the peel-blot grid preparation, and the structure determination by 2D electron crystallography are described here.The resolving power of cryo-EM experiments has dramatically improved in recent years. selleck However, many cryo-EM maps may still not achieve a resolution that is sufficiently high to allow model building directly from the map. Instead, it is common practice to fit an initial atomic model to the map and refine this model. Depending on the resolution and whether the structure suffers from inherent flexibility or experimental limitations, different methods can be applied, to obtain high-quality, well-fitted atomic model of the macromolecular assembly represented by the map, and to assess its properties. In this review, we describe some of these methods, with the main focus on those that have been developed in our group over the last decade.A systematic and quantitative evaluation of cryo-EM maps is necessary to judge their quality and to capture all possible sources of error. A single value for global resolution is insufficient to accurately describe the quality of a reconstructed density. We describe the estimation and evaluation of two additional resolution measures, local and directional resolution, using methods based on the Fourier shell correlation (FSC). We apply the protocol to samples that encompass different types of pathologies a user is expected to encounter and provide analyses on how to interpret the output files and resulting maps. Implementation of these tools will facilitate density interpretation and can guide the user in adapting their experiments to improve the quality of cryo-EM maps, and by extension atomic models.Single-particle analysis of electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) images allows structure determination of macromolecular complexes. But when these molecules adopt many different conformations, traditional image processing approaches often lead to blurred reconstructions. By considering complexes to be comprised of multiple, independently moving rigid bodies, multi-body refinement in RELION enables structure determination of highly flexible complexes, while at the same time providing a characterization of the motions in the complex. Here, we describe how to perform multi-body refinement in RELION using a publicly available example. We outline how to prepare the necessary files, how to run the actual multi-body calculation, and how to interpret its output. This method can be applied to any cryo-EM data set of flexible complexes that can be divided into two or more bodies, each with a minimum molecular weight of 100-150 kDa.Illuminating a specimen with a parallel electron beam is critical for many experiments in transmission electron microscopy as deviations from this condition cause considerable deterioration of image quality. Carefully establishing parallel illumination is particularly important on two-condenser lens transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) as the parallel illumination condition is limited to a single beam intensity value on these instruments. It was recently shown that a Thermo Fisher Scientific Talos Arctica, a two-condenser lens TEM operating at 200 kV, equipped with a Gatan K2 Summit direct electron detector is capable of resolving frozen-hydrated macromolecules of various sizes and internal symmetries to better than 3 Å resolution using single particle methodologies. A critical aspect of the success of these findings was the careful alignment of the electron microscope to ensure the specimen was illuminated with a parallel electron beam. Here, this chapter describes how to establish parallel illumination conditions in a Talos Arctica TEM for high-resolution cryogenic data collection for structure determination.In recent years, electron cryo-microscopy (CryoEM) has become a powerful method for the high-resolution studies of biological macromolecules. While CryoEM experiments can begin without additional microscopy steps, negative-stain EM can tremendously minimize CryoEM screening. Negative-stain is a quick method that can be used to screen for robust biochemical conditions, the integrity, binding, and composition of samples and to get an estimation of sample grid concentration. For some applications, the map resolutions potentially afforded by stain may be as biologically informative as in CryoEM. Here, I describe the benefits and pitfalls of negative-stain EM, with particular emphasis on Uranyl stains with the main goal of screening in advance of CryoEM. In addition, I provide a materials list, detailed protocol and possible adjustments for the use of stains for biological samples requiring imaging and/or diffraction-based methods of EM.Electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET) is a technique that allows the investigation of intact macromolecular complexes while they are in their cellular milieu. Over the years, cryo-ET has had a huge impact on our understanding of how large biomolecular complexes look like, how they assemble, disassemble, function, and evolve(d). Recent hardware and software developments and combining cryo-ET with other techniques, e.g., focused ion beam milling (FIB-milling) and cryo-light microscopy, has extended the realm of cryo-ET to include transient molecular complexes embedded deep in thick samples (like eukaryotic cells) and enhanced the resolution of structures obtained by cryo-ET. In this chapter, we will present an outline of how to perform cryo-ET studies on a wide variety of biological samples including prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and biological plant tissues. This outline will include sample preparation, data collection, and data processing as well as hybrid approaches like FIB-milling, cryosectioning, and cryo-correlated light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM).Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a powerful technique to examine cellular structures as they exist in situ. However, direct imaging by TEM for cryo-ET is limited to specimens up to ∼400 nm in thickness, narrowing its applicability to areas such as cellular projections or small bacteria and viruses. Cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) milling has emerged in recent years as a method to generate thin specimens from cellular samples in preparation for cryo-ET. In this technique, specimens are thinned with a beam of gallium ions to gradually ablate cellular material in order to leave a thin, electron-transparent section (a lamella) through the bulk material. The lamella can be used for high-resolution cryo-ET to visualize cells in 3D in a near-native state. This approach has proved to be robust and relatively simple for new users and exhibits minimal sectioning artifacts. In this chapter, we describe a general approach to cryo-FIB milling for users with prior cryo-EM experience, with extensive notes on operation and troubleshooting.