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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dear Oscar, Bill, Norm, members,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>We are also happy with the FEI Vitrobot, basically. Students
without any <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>experience of cryo can make a good freezing on the first
day. However, we <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>realized one problem: Frozen grids have gradient of
thickness quite often. In <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>other words, ice is too thick at one end and the grid is
totally dried at the <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>other end, while the area (a few to 10 meshes) in between
has optimum <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>thickness. I guess this is because the grid is blotted by
tilted filter paper <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>attached on pads. Undoubtedly, It would be nicer if we have
even thickness <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>of ice.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Did anybody have the same problem as we have and solve this
issue ? Or<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>anybody has the idea how this problem happened ?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Takashi<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Takashi
Ishikawa</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Research
Scientist / Group Leader</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Department
of Biology</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich)</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>ETH
Hönggerberg, HPK F7</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>CH-8093
Zürich, Switzerland</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>phone:
+41 1-633-2462</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Fax:&nbsp;
: +41 1-633-1073</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>e-mail:
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">takashi.ishikawa@mol.biol.ethz.ch</st1:PersonName></span></font>
<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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