Optimising the tilt increment for in situ cryo-electron tomography.

A 3° tilt increment optimizes cryo-electron tomography data quality, balancing resolution, alignment, and efficiency in Dictyostelium discoideum studies.

• Why it matters: Choosing the right tilt increment is crucial for maximizing image quality while minimizing radiation damage and resource use, yet it remains challenging to determine the best setting.
• What they did: Researchers systematically tested tilt increments of 1°, 2°, 3°, 5°, and 10° on cellular lamellae, assessing their impact on tomogram quality and downstream analysis.
• The result: A 3° tilt increment was identified as optimal, enabling high-quality, high-resolution imaging with efficient data collection, supporting improved structural biology research.