I am preparing samples for SEM analysis that contain bacterial spores deposited on a plastic substrate. I have noticed that the image quality from the plastic substrate is significantly poorer compared to samples prepared on a stainless-steel substrate. Neither type of sample has been gold-coated. My concern is whether the plastic substrate is contributing to the reduced image quality. Once I have access to gold-coating equipment in the next couple of weeks, will applying a gold coating to the samples improve the imaging quality of the spores on the plastic substrate?
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