STEM Mass Mapping & Heavy Atom Labeling of Biomolecules

描述（改编自应用程序）：布鲁克海文STEM（扫描透射电子显微镜）资源为单个生物分子的质量映射和重原子标记提供了独特的服务。对于像病毒或细胞器一样大的蛋白质或复合物，STEM在低剂量下成像的质量分辨率为0.5%至5%。我们已经开发了重原子标记，以标记分子复合物整体轮廓内的特定位点或亚基。核心研发计划旨在推进四个领域的最新技术：1）用于重要生物应用的新重原子簇标记试剂，2）在Cryo TEM/STEM中使用冷冻水合标本开发质量映射，3）质量/图像分析改进以提供额外功能，以及4）STEM仪器开发以提高性能并增加新功能。这四个方面都应该提高用户结果的质量和数量。 我们建议继续扩大我们的生产用户/合作者计划，因为我们开发新的标记方法，并改善标本制备，成像和图像分析。目前有40至50个项目活跃在以下领域：蛋白质和蛋白质复合物，细丝和丝状蛋白质，膜和膜蛋白质，DNA，RNA和核酸/蛋白质复合物，病毒蛋白质，病毒结构，细胞器，特别是细丝和病毒组装领域。平均每年增加25个新项目。预计所有项目都将在最高质量的期刊上发表。STEM咨询委员会在新项目的规划、质量控制和开发方面发挥着不可或缺的作用。 培训和传播将继续利用科学出版物、会议、讲习班、小册子、我们的网站，并扩大到包括一个新的FTP网站，用于培训和其他讲习班。 布鲁克海文STEM已被证明是许多研究人员的宝贵资源，我们期待着为科学界提供一个更强大，更有用的设施，这是美国其他地方所没有的。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Application): The Brookhaven STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy) Resource provides a unique service for mass mapping and heavy atom labeling of individual biological molecules. The STEM achieves mass resolution of 0.5 to 5% for proteins or complexes as large as viruses or cell organelles, imaged at low dose. We have developed heavy atom labels to mark specific sites or subunits within the overall contour of molecular complexes. The Core R&D program seeks to advance the state-of-the-art in four areas: 1) new heavy atom cluster labeling reagents for important biological applications, 2) development of mass mapping using frozen-hydrated specimens in the Cryo TEM/STEM, 3) mass/image analysis improvements to provide additional features, and 4) STEM instrumentation development to improve performance and add new capabilities. All four should enhance the quality & quantity of users' results. We propose to continue to expand our productive user/collaborator program as we develop new labeling methods and improve specimen preparation, imaging, and image analysis. Currently 40 to 50 projects are active in the areas of: proteins and protein complexes, filaments and filamentous proteins, membranes and membrane proteins, DNA, RNA and nucleic acid/protein complexes, viral proteins, virus structure, cell organelles, and in particular the fields of filament and virus assembly. An average of 25 new projects are added each year. All projects are expected to lead to publications in the highest quality journals. The STEM Advisory Committee plays an integral role in planning, quality control and development of new projects. Training and dissemination will continue using scientific publications, meetings, workshops, brochures, our web site, and expanded to include a new FTP site for training and additional workshops. The Brookhaven STEM has proven to be a valuable resource to many investigators, and we look forward to providing an even stronger and more useful Facility to the scientific community, which is not available elsewhere in the U.S.