Researchers in the United States have built a technology that boosts the performance of electron microscopes, adapting the phase-contrast technique to cryo-electron microscopy.

How this affects you

This new laser-based phase plate technology, paired with a custom Thermo Fisher Scientific microscope called 'Theia', will allow for more accurate atomic models of molecules, significantly improving the study of biology and disease by providing clearer and sharper images with greater detail than current cryo-EM systems.