Cryo-electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM)

Cryo-electron Microscopy

• Introduction

  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.

• Instruments

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

• Documentation

  SCSB-Usage-Form (PDF) Usage-Form-Instructions (PDF) SCSB cryo-EM Policy UTMB Safety Manual
  Standard Operating Procedures Tomography User Manual EPU User Manual JEM 2200FS JEM 2100 Vacuum Coater Dry Pumping Station Solarus Advanced Plasma Cleaning System	Gatan K2 Detection Camera Manual Vitrobot Cryo-plunger How to Make Holey Films Policy of Instrument Scheduling Policy of Food and Lab Coat Dose Rate Matches on SCSB EMs How-To: Data collection with SerialEM Power on procedures for Krios G3i

• Contact

  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 Matthieu G. Gagnon, PhD Petr G. Leiman, PhD Gabrielle Rudenko, PhD Thomas J. Smith, PhD	Scott C. Weaver, PhD Mark A. White, PhD, Manager, X-ray Crystallography Laboratory Y. Whitney Yin, PhD

• Microscope Scheduling

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

  • SCSB-Usage-Form (PDF)
  • Usage-Form-Instructions (PDF)

  To schedule experiments, please submit Schedule Request Form:

  • Schedule Request Form (NEW- Webform) 
  • Instructions for Schedule Request Form

  Instrument Scheduling

  • Schedule an Instrument
  • Microscope Schedule - Current
• People