Exciting Cryo-EM Updates

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The rapidly advancing field of Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) continues to generate many new and exciting molecular structures that have never been seen before. These structures contain many important details about protein function and may hold the key to advancing important drug discoveries and improving our understanding of human diseases. As a leader in biomedical research, The Ohio State University has made a significant investment in acquiring two state-of-the-art cryo-TEMs from Thermo Fisher: the 200 kV Glacios, and the 300 kV Titan Krios.

Recently, the Glacios was installed at CEMAS, and to prepare the microscope for general use, Thermo Fisher engineers thoroughly tested the instrument to ensure that it would meet stated specifications. Apoferritin, a large multi-domain protein involved in iron storage, was used as a standard to determine the maximum achievable resolution. During this process, 377 micrographs were collected and selected for further data analysis. The final 3D reconstruction revealed a 3.64 Å map, which is better than the 4 Å resolution benchmark (see figure below). CEMAS has the ability to collect data on the Glacios that is on par with the resolution reached by x-ray crystallography.

In addition to single-particle analysis, the Glacios can be used for conventional EM imaging. Biological samples, such as liposomes and nanoparticles, can now be imaged under native conditions to visualize their overall size and shape. Please complete the Cryo-EM Project Form if you are interested in characterizing your samples with the Glacios.

3D reconstruction