Electron Cryo-Microscopy cryo-EM

Electron Cryo-Microscopy

Key Facts

Single particle imaging for cryo-EM 3D reconstructions
Molecular and cellular electron cryo-tomography
Correlative light and electron cryo-microscopy

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Available Instruments

Microscopes

Talos L120C
Talos Arctica
Titan Krios 1
Titan Krios 2
Aquilos

Auxiliary instruments
To support EM sample preparation, various instruments are available, including:

versatile glow dischargers
Quorum GloQube
Harrick Plasma Cleaner PDC-002

plunge freezers
Thermo Vitrobots Mark IV* including one housed in custom safety cabinet (Berner) for S2 sample preparation
Leica GP2
MPI Martinsried type manual plunge freezers

carbon/gold/platinum coater
Leica ACE60

Dedicated lab space
Access to laboratory space near the microscopes for specimen preparation and mammalian cell culture with
Safety Cabinets
CO2 incubators
Light Microscopes

Available Support

We provide a collaborative environment for sample preparation, data acquisition and data analysis. This includes:

structured user training
technical support for microscopes for state-of-the-art data acquisition
advice and collaborative development for sample preparation and project design
computing environment and guidance for initial data analysis
provision of various data processing pipelines
mutual development of user-specific workflows (both for data acquisition and processing)
regular user meetings and yearly cryo-EM workshops

Further information

We are a multi-user electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) facility at the Center for Structural and Systems Biology (CSSB) on the Science Campus Bahrenfeld. The Multi-User CryoEM Facility at CSSB was established with substantial support from the DFG (grant numbers INST 152/772-1, 152/774-1, 152/775-1, 152/776-1 and 152/777-1 FUGG)

We are located at the Science Campus Bahrenfeld between Petra III and the EuXFEL. We aim to integrate and develop new methods between these facilities, e.g. micro-ED and electron crystallography.

The facility operates under Biosafety S1 and S2 levels.

Facility access is managed by an online booking system (PPMS booking system coming shortly). Typically before starting a new project, an initial meeting will be arranged with the facility staff in order to discuss the plan and best suited approaches. Priority is given to projects that align with the scientific mission of the CSSB.

The cryo-CLEM technique is being arranged through our close interaction with the CSSB Advanced Light and Fluorescence Microscopy (ALFM) facility [link]. We are in the process of developing and optimizing workflows for cryo-CLEM combining the fast detection of proteins inside cells by light microscopy with the high resolution of electron cryo-tomography. This is particularly powerful in mechanistically understanding host-pathogen interactions. Please contact us for more information on provisional access.