A novel storage system for cryoEM samples

Better, Faster, Cheaper: Recent Advances in Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) continues its remarkable growth as a method for visualizing biological objects, which has been driven by advances across the entire pipeline. Developments in both single-particle analysis and in situ tomography have enabled more structures to be imaged and determined to better resolutions, at faster speeds, and with more scientists having improved access. This review highlights recent advances at each stageof the cryo-EM pipeline and provides examples of how these techniques have been used to investigate real-world problems, including antibody development against the SARS-CoV-2 spike during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Broadening access to cryoEM through centralized facilities

Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) uses images of frozen hydrated biological specimens to produce macromolecular structures, opening up previously inaccessible levels of biological organization to high-resolution structural analysis. CryoEM has the potential for broad impact in biomedical research, including basic cell, molecular, and structural biology, and increasingly in drug discovery and vaccine development. Recent advances have led to the expansion of molecular and cellular structure determination at an exponential rate. National and regional centers have emerged to support this growth by increasing the accessibility of cryoEM throughout the biomedical research community. Through cooperation and synergy, these centers form a network of resources that accelerate the adoption of best practices for access and training and establish sustainable workflows to build future research capacity.

An Open-Source Storage Solution for Cryo-Electron Microscopy Samples

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) enables the study of biological structures in situ in great detail and to solve protein structures at Ångstrom level resolution. Due to recent advances in instrumentation and data processing, the field of cryo-EM is a rapidly growing. Access to facilities and national centers that house the state-of-the-art microscopes is limited due to the ever-rising demand, resulting in long wait times between sample preparation and data acquisition. To improve sample storage, we have developed a cryo-storage system with an efficient, high storage capacity that enables sample storage in a highly organized manner. This system is simple to use, cost-effective and easily adaptable for any type of grid storage box and dewar and any size cryo-EM laboratory.

Best practices for managing large CryoEM facilities

This paper provides an overview of the discussion and presentations from the Workshop on the Management of Large CryoEM Facilities held at the New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY on February 6-7, 2017. A major objective of the workshop was to discuss best practices for managing cryoEM facilities. The discussions were largely focused on supporting single-particle methods for cryoEM and topics included: user access, assessing projects, workflow, sample handling, microscopy, data management and processing, and user training.