About Us

The instruments in the Electron Microscopy Resource Laboratory represent a substantial investment and resource for the University of Pennsylvania research community. To ensure that these resources are available at the optimum performance level with a minimum downtime, the Internal Cryo-Electron Microscopy Advisory Committee (CEMAC) oversees the services. Policies, rules, and rates will be reviewed periodically by the committee and are subject to change.

Internal Cryo-Electron Microscopy Advisory Committee (CEMAC):

  • Dr. Vera Moiseenkova-Bell (Faculty Director)
  • Dr. Biao Zuo 
  • Dr. Prerana Gogoi 
  • Dr. Shrawan Kumar Mageswaran
  • Dr. Elaine Mihelc 
  • Dr. Kristen Lynch (Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics)
  • Lisa Ward (Financial and Administrative Officer, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics).

The Electron Microscopy Resource Lab is organized into the following:

The Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy provides access to state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) for structural investigation of macromolecules. The facility houses a Krios G3i microscope equipped with phase plate, K3 Summit Direct Detector camera, and Bioquantum GIF energy filter. In addition, the facility has Vitrobot cryo plunger and all accessories needed to perform sample preparation for Cryo-EM. The facility is available to Penn research groups and external academic research groups in the greater Philadelphia area.

We offer the following services at the Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy:

  • Screening of Cryo-EM grids.
  • High-resolution data acquisition of prescreened Krios-qualified samples on the Krios G3i microscope.
  • Data transfer to the data cluster for internal users or hard drives for external users.
  • Note: The Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy does not provide Cryo-EM data processing and reconstruction services.
  • To request services, please contact us at: CRYO-EM@lists.upenn.edu

For Cryo-ET data acquisition and advanced sample preparation for Cryo-ET, reach out to CRYO-ET@lists.upenn.edu. As part of the Cryo-ET branch, there is a Zeiss LSM900 laser scanning confocal light microscope designed to facilitate correlative cryogenic workflows, specifically for targeted Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET data acquisition. Additionally, a Zeiss Crossbeam 550 (equipped with a cryostage, a Delmic Meteor in-chamber fluorescence microscope, high signal-to-noise primary and secondary electron detectors and superior electron optics) is capable of conducting volumetric scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reconstructions and thinning of biological specimens in a targeted fashion for subsequent Cryo-ET.

Advanced Cryo-ET:

  • Training on the LSM900.
  • Training on the Crossbeam 550.
  • Assistance with sample preparation for Cryo-ET
  • Assistance with and training on the Krios for Cryo-ET data acquisition
  • Assistance with Cryo-ET data processing and post-processing analyses on a case-by-case basis.
  • To request services, please contact us at: CRYO-ET@lists.upenn.edu

The TEM Training Facility provides training and access to Tecnai T12 microscope for learning basic operation of TEM as well as optimizing samples with negative stain EM. We offer the following services at the TEM Training Facility:

  • Training on FEI T12 Microscope for negative stain imaging.
  • Pay-per-service for negative stain imaging.

To request services, please contact us at ULTRA_SERV@lists.upenn.edu

The Ultrastructure Facility is the part of the Electron Microscopy Resource Laboratory that provides conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of cells and tissues services to Penn research groups and external academic research groups in the greater Philadelphia area. The facility houses a JEOL JEM-1010 microscope, sample preparation instruments and all the accessories needed to perform fixing, processing, sectioning, staining, and imaging.

We offer the following services at the Ultrastructure Facility:

  • Pay-per-service Standard TEM and Immuno TEM for cellular and tissue structure. 
  • Pay-per-service specimen preparation included fixing, processing, sectioning, staining, and imaging.
  • Training on the Reichart Ultramicrotome for independent usage.
  • Training on the JEOL 1010 microscope for independent microscope usage.

Note: The Ultrastructure Facility does not provide data analysis or processing.

To request services please contact us at: ULTRA_SERV@lists.upenn.edu