Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) is used to obtain images of the molecules and cells that form the machinery of life. Through imaging samples at atomic resolution via an electron beam, the resulting 3D reconstructions enable scientists to determine the architecture of proteins, biological molecules and their macromolecular complexes. This information provides insight and allows researchers to answer a range of questions relating to human health and the design of treatment for disease. Areas of particular interest for study include human DNA damage repair mechanisms, bacterial transport systems that export proteins and antibiotics out of the cell, and how cell signalling pathways are aberrant in tumours.

Funding received from the Wellcome Trust and the University of Cambridge has created this state-of-the-art Cryo-EM facility, with a unique tandem of both high-end Titan Krios 300kV and mid-range Talos Arctica 200kV cryo-electron microscopes.