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测绘和重原子标记提供了独特的服务。STEM在低剂量成像时，对蛋白质或与病毒或细胞器一样大的复合物的质量分辨率为0.5至5%。我们已经开发了重原子标签来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最先进的四个领域：1)用于重要生物应用的新型重原子簇标记试剂，2)在冷冻TEM/STEM中使用冷冻水合标本开发质量制图，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。这四种方法都应该提高用户搜索结果的质量和数量。

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.