Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Infrastructure

Wellcome Trust人类遗传学中心的牛津粒子成像中心是牛津大学300多个结构生物学研究社区的泛部门访问和生物电子冷冻显微镜（cryoEM）和电子冷冻断层扫描（cryoET）培训的关键。最先进的低温电子显微镜和低温电子显微镜可以对人类细胞、疾病病原体和疫苗的分子机制进行成像。这些研究可以精确地指出，个体基因组成的差异如何通过细胞和分子水平的影响，对各种各样的医疗状况做出贡献。同样，可以通过绘制最容易被免疫系统识别的病毒表面细节来指导设计对抗突发病毒的疫苗。这项拨款申请是为了升级OPIC最先进的冷冻em和冷冻et仪器。OPIC在欧洲是独一无二的，因为它有能力在必要时在密闭环境中运行cryoEM和cryoET数据收集。OPIC通过与钻石光源的英国国家设施eBIC（电子生物成像中心）的合作，为更广泛的国内和国际用户社区提供了此类实验的访问。正在进行的对全世界人类健康至关重要的病毒和疫苗分析将受益于所要求的设备。

The Oxford Centre for Particle Imaging at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics is pivotal for pan-departmental access and training in biological electron cryo microscopy (cryoEM) and electron cryo tomography (cryoET) for the 300+ structural biology research community in Oxford. State-of-the-art cryoEM and cryoET can image the molecular mechanisms by which human cells, disease pathogens and vaccines work. Such studies can pinpoint how differences in the genetic makeup of individuals contribute to a wide range of medical conditions through effects at the cellular and molecular level. Likewise, the design of vaccines to combat emergent viruses can be guided by mapping the surface details of the virus that are best recognised by our immune system. This grant application is to upgrade instrumentation for state-of-the-art cryoEM and cryoET in OPIC. OPIC isunique in Europe in having the capability, when necessary, to run cryoEM and cryoET data collection in containment. OPIC, through its association with the UK national facility, eBIC (electron Bio-Imaging Centre) at Diamond Light Source, provides access for such experiments to the broader national and international user community. On-going analyses on viruses and vaccines important to human health worldwide will benefit from the requested equipment.