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Cryo-electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM)

Including the W. M. Keck Center for Virus Imaging in BSL-3

Cryo-electron Microscopy

The SCSB Cryo-electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) Laboratory, located on the first floor of the Medical Research Building, features a BSL-3 containment for viral and pathogen work. The open research space (separate from BSL-3 containment) is designed for studying the structures of macromolecules, their complexes, cell organelles, and other biological systems using various EM techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy and (cryo-) electron tomography. The laboratory has three modern microscopes that are equipped for (cryo-) electron microscopy and (cryo-) electron tomography with automated data collection incorporated.

The 300 kV Thermo-Fisher Titan Krios cryo-EM is a state of the art ultra-high-resolution microscope with post-column electron energy filter and field emission gun (FEG), which is the brightest electron source currently available. This fully automated instrument yields near-atomic resolution images of biological macromolecules and their complexes and is capable collecting data without user intervention.

The high-resolution 200 keV JEM2200FS is located in the W. M. Keck Center for virus imaging in BSL-3 containment and permits the safe structural imaging of highly infectious pathogens that could not studied in the open research area. This is the first cryo-EM facility in the US designed for high-resolution structural studies of wild type infectious agents. The microscope can be controlled remotely through a computer network, which provides access for remote online users and largely extends our user base.

The JEM2100 is available for imaging of non-pathogenic specimens and negatively stained samples. All microscopes in the Laboratory are equipped for (cryo-) electron tomography using automated data collection procedure. The JEM2100 is used for both user training and structural studies. A shared Crystallographic/EM Computational Lab provides high-throughput image-processing with a dedicated 120-core EM Image-Processing Cluster. Images are stored in a local EMEN database that is archived remotely.

Titan Krios JEM2200FS  29a 291 
 Titan Krios  JEM2200FS  JEM2200BSL3 in the
W. M. Keck Center
for Virus Imaging
 JEM2100

For more information please contact the SCSBMB manager.

Manager

Michael Sherman, PhD
E-mail: mbsherma@utmb.edu
Tel: (409) 772-6310

Research Scientist

Michael Woodson, PhD
E-mail: miwoodso@utmb.edu
Tel: (409) 772-6327
 

Advisory Committee

 

New users and current users who have new research projects and/or new grants are asked to please complete the Usage form:

To schedule experiments, please submit Schedule Request Form:

Instrument Scheduling