[3dem] Prepare Your In Situ Cryo-ET Sample with SLICK: A Sandwich-LIke Culturing Kit

[Qiuye Li]

Dear all,
We are excited to present our recent work, SLICK: A *S*andwich-*LI*ke
*C*ulturing
*K*it for *in situ* Cryo-ET Sample Preparation (
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.14.638381v1.full__;!!Mih3wA!HVczv0Yp0-vpLXOaZtIh0rnbY4q_VTIYIh91AsSxEj0M3NoJR9SlYZTtgt1kZi3UPS9t2SsP7I3brS9CXg$ ). Great
sample preparation is the foundation for successful *in situ* cryo-ET
studies. SLICK is a device that facilitates culturing of adherent cells on
EM grids. It has a couple of advantages compared to current practices:
1) Simplified sample preparation process. The sandwich design minimizes the
moving, floating, and flipping of grids in culture dishes. In our test,
users without prior *in situ* cryo-ET experience can easily prepare
adherent cells on EM grids using SLICK on the first try.
2) Significantly improved grid integrity. With SLICK, one only needs to
handle EM grids with tweezers as few as two times: 1) when picking up grids
from the package; 2) when picking up the grids with cells for plunge
freezing. This significantly reduced grid bending and foil breaking.
3) High-throughput capability. A SLICK can prepare 12 EM grids in a 35 mm
dish. For those interested in even higher throughput, this number scales up
very well with dish size.
4) Versatility. The kit contains a 3D-printed base, and all other
components are easily available in a cell biology lab. The modular design
allows the base to be configured to various shapes and capacities. The kit
should be compatible with existing equipment and protocols. In our test, it
can be used to culture low-density primary hippocampus neurons with the
help of feeder layers.

We believe SLICK will be particularly helpful for those who want to explore
the power of cryo-ET, but hesitate to start cell culturing. Current
practitioners will also greatly benefit from the improved sample quality
and throughput.
The design is still being actively improved and modified. Please feel free
to contact me (qxl112 at case.edu) if you would like a sample of SLICK, or
would like to have a copy of the model files. Questions, feedback,
recommendations, and new feature requests are always welcome!

Best regards,
Qiuye
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