In an article published in JBC, researchers from the laboratory of Dr. Uhn-Soo Cho and their collaborators at Pusan National University in South Korea report their development of a non-thermal atmospheric plasma jet system as an alternative tool for treatment of surfaces. Atmospheric-pressure plasmas have been widely applied for surface modification and biomedical treatment because of their ability to generate highly reactive radicals and charged particles. In negative-stain electron microscopy (Neg-EM) and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), plasmas have been used to generate hydrophilic surfaces and eliminate surface contaminants to embed specimens onto grids. In addition, plasma treatment is a prerequisite for negative-stain and Quantifoil grids, whose surfaces are coated with hydrophobic amorphous carbon. Unlike conventional glow discharge systems, the newly developed plasma jet system successfully cleans and introduces hydrophilicity on the grid surface in the ambient environment without a vacuum. The authors anticipate that the plasma jet system will have numerous benefits, such as convenience and versatility, as well as having potential applications in surface modification for both Neg-EM and cryo-EM grid treatment.