Phase plates are a new technique in the field of cryo-electron microscopy. They provide improved contrast and signal-to-noise ratio in images of radiation sensitive specimens. Thin film phase plates are being tested in biological applications and have demonstrated benefits for single particle analysis and cryo-tomography. There are still unsolved problems, such as reliability of manufacturing and deterioration of performance with time. Several other types of phase plates are currently under development and may become available for cryo-microscopy in near future. Presented is a short overview of the current state of the field as well as ideas for the future directions. Also included is a detailed description of the instrumentation requirements and the experimental procedures for phase plate application.
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