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High-throughput film-densitometry: An efficient approach to generate large data sets

Journal Article · · Journal of Structural Biology
OSTI ID:836982
A film-handling machine (robot) has been built which can, in conjunction with a commercially available film densitometer, exchange and digitize over 300 electron micrographs per day. Implementation of robotic film handling effectively eliminates the delay and tedium associated with digitizing images when data are initially recorded on photographic film. The modulation transfer function (MTF) of the commercially available densitometer is significantly worse than that of a high-end, scientific microdensitometer. Nevertheless, its signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is quite excellent, allowing substantial restoration of the output to ''near-to-perfect'' performance. Due to the large area of the standard electron microscope film that can be digitized by the commercial densitometer (up to 10,000 x 13,680 pixels with an appropriately coded holder), automated film digitization offers a fast and inexpensive alternative to high-end CCD cameras as a means of acquiring large amounts of image data in electron microscopy.
Research Organization:
Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE. Office of Management Budget and Evaluation; National Institutes of Health Grant GM 62989 Work -Other Federal Entities, Cost of Reimbursable Work and Cooperative Work -Other Federal Entities (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
836982
Report Number(s):
LBNL--56128
Journal Information:
Journal of Structural Biology, Journal Name: Journal of Structural Biology Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 149
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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