Machinery Masters is a marketplace for new and used cryo fixation units, the sample preparation instruments that freeze biological and material specimens fast enough to preserve their native structure for electron microscopy. Cryo-fixation replaces slow chemical fixation with ultra-rapid freezing, immobilising cells and tissue in milliseconds so that fine structure is captured without the artefacts that develop during conventional processing. The technique underpins cryo-electron microscopy, high-resolution ultrastructure research, and immuno-electron microscopy. Buyers include electron microscopy facility managers, structural biology and cell biology researchers, and materials science laboratories. Browse verified sellers to compare freezing method, sample capacity, condition, and price before you buy.

Shop Cryo Fixation Units by Type

Cryo fixation units are available in several configurations suited to different specimen types, thicknesses, and downstream workflows. Selecting the correct type keeps the freezing method matched to your sample, because the way heat is removed determines how deep a well-frozen, ice-crystal-free structure extends into the specimen. The main differences between configurations relate to the freezing mechanism, the maximum sample thickness that can be vitrified, the cooling rate, and how the frozen sample is transferred to the next step.

Plunge Freezers

Plunge freezers rapidly immerse thin specimens and cryo-electron microscopy grids into liquid ethane or propane to vitrify the water without ice crystals forming. With controlled blotting, humidity, and temperature, they prepare the thin, uniformly frozen samples that single-particle and cryo-EM imaging depend on. They are the standard first step for cryo-electron microscopy specimen preparation.

High-Pressure Freezers

High-pressure freezers apply around 2,000 bar at the moment of freezing to suppress ice crystal formation, allowing thicker specimens up to a couple of hundred micrometres to be well frozen. They suit tissue, cell pellets, and multicellular samples that are too thick for plunge freezing, extending cryo-fixation to a much wider range of biological material.

Freeze Substitution Systems

Freeze substitution systems slowly replace the frozen water in a specimen with organic solvent and fixative at a very low temperature so that cryo-fixed structure can be embedded in resin for room-temperature electron microscopy. Automated units control the temperature ramp and reagent changes over long programmes, delivering the reproducible, artefact-free preparation that immuno-electron microscopy and ultrastructure studies require.

Slam and Metal-Mirror Freezers

Slam, or metal-mirror, freezers press the specimen against a highly polished, cryogen-cooled metal block to achieve extremely fast surface cooling. They produce a thin, exceptionally well-frozen layer at the contact face, which suits studies focused on fast dynamic events and surface ultrastructure.

Cryo Preparation and Transfer Systems

Cryo preparation and transfer systems keep specimens below the devitrification temperature while they are coated, fractured, or moved between instruments. They preserve the frozen state through the workflow, linking cryo-fixation to cryo-sectioning, coating, and microscopy without allowing the sample to warm.

Cryo Fixation Units Brands on Machinery Masters

Machinery Masters lists cryo-fixation units from established electron microscopy and sample preparation manufacturers, so you can source a specific make and model or compare comparable units across sellers.

Leica Microsystems
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Gatan
Quorum Technologies
JEOL
Boeckeler Instruments
Ted Pella
Electron Microscopy Sciences
CryoCapCell
Bal-Tec

Cryo-Fixation Units: Applications and Uses

Cryo fixation units are deployed across structural biology, cell biology, and materials research wherever native structure must be preserved for high-resolution microscopy. Requirements depend on the specimen type and thickness, the resolution targeted, and the downstream imaging or embedding workflow.

Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Structural Biology

Structural biology laboratories use plunge freezers to vitrify purified proteins, complexes, and viruses on grids for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. Reproducible, thin vitreous ice is the foundation of high-resolution structure determination, so consistent, controlled freezing is the key selection criterion.

Cell and Tissue Ultrastructure Research

Cell biology laboratories use high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution to preserve membranes, organelles, and cellular architecture close to the living state. Cryofixation captures fast processes and fragile structures that chemical fixation distorts, supporting accurate ultrastructural interpretation.

Immuno-Electron Microscopy

Immunolabelling studies rely on cryofixation and freeze substitution to preserve both structure and antigenicity so that specific proteins can be localised at the ultrastructural level. Gentle, well-controlled preparation is essential to keep epitopes intact for labelling.

Materials Science and Soft Matter

Materials and soft-matter laboratories use cryo-fixation to arrest hydrated and temperature-sensitive samples such as polymers, emulsions, and hydrogels for electron microscopy. Rapid freezing preserves the native microstructure of samples that cannot survive conventional drying or fixation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cryofixation, and how does it work?

Cryofixation preserves a specimen by freezing it so quickly that water solidifies into a glass-like vitreous state instead of forming ice crystals that would damage fine structure. Because freezing happens in milliseconds, cells and tissue are immobilised close to their living state, avoiding the shrinkage and extraction that slow chemical fixation can cause. The frozen sample is then imaged directly by cryo-electron microscopy or processed by freeze substitution for resin embedding.

What is the difference between plunge freezing and high-pressure freezing?

Plunge freezing rapidly immerses thin specimens and grids into liquid ethane and vitrifies samples only a few micrometres thick, which suits purified molecules and cryo-electron microscopy grids. High-pressure freezing applies around 2,000 bar during freezing to suppress ice crystals, allowing much thicker specimens up to roughly 200 micrometres, such as tissue and cell pellets, to be well frozen. In short, plunge freezing handles thin samples and high-pressure freezing handles thick ones.

What is freeze substitution?

Freeze substitution is the step that follows cryo fixation for room-temperature electron microscopy. The frozen water in the specimen is gradually replaced by an organic solvent containing fixative at very low temperature, then the sample is warmed and embedded in resin. Automated freeze substitution units control the long temperature programme and reagent changes precisely, which is essential for reproducible ultrastructure and immunolabelling results.

What should I consider when buying a cryofixation unit?

Start with your specimen type and thickness, which determines whether you need a plunge freezer, a high-pressure freezer, or a freeze substitution system, then check sample throughput, cryogen handling, and compatibility with your existing transfer and microscopy equipment. Consider the level of automation and environmental control the technique demands. For a used instrument, confirm the cooling, temperature control, and transfer components all function correctly. Confirm the specification with the seller before you buy.

What is the difference between new and used cryofixation units?

New units arrive with a manufacturer warranty, current controls, and full support. Used and refurbished cryofixation units offer significant savings and are a sound choice from reputable sellers with documented service history and clear provenance, which suits facilities extending capacity or entering cryo methods on a budget. Before critical work, verify that cooling performance, temperature programming, and any transfer system meet your requirements.

Where can I buy cryofixation units on Machinery Masters?

Browse Machinery Masters for new and used cryo fixation units, plunge freezers, high-pressure freezers, and freeze substitution systems from verified sellers worldwide. Use the search and filter tools to narrow by method, brand, and specification, then contact sellers directly to request service history, maintenance records, and pricing before you make a final decision.