Electron microscopy camera to study essential cellular processes and nanomaterials development.

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This application requests a latest-generation CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera for our Tecnai Spirit transmission electron microscope. This microscope is integrated within the Facility for Electron Microscopy Research (FEMR) at McGill, Canada's largest and most innovative electron microscopy platform that supports over 270 research programs (~50% NSERC funded) and ~750 Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP). Applicants in this proposal will use this camera to collect high-resolution images to support their NSERC-funded research programs. Ortega (principal applicant) will use this new camera to describe alternative translation initiation mechanisms in bacteria. This is a fundamental biological process in bacteria with practical implications in biotechnology and bioengineering. Guarné (co-applicant) is a Canada Research Chair (tier 1) at McGill, and her program studies DNA repair mechanisms. Kakkar (co-applicant) requires this camera to design nanomaterials for bio-separation, disease evaluation and theranostics. These accomplished researchers have published over 100 publications in the last six years in high-impact journals (Science, Nature Communications, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, etc.) and secured competitive funds from NSERC, CIHR, NIH, CFI and the province of Quebec (FRQNT). Considering other potential users from all over Eastern Canada accessing the camera through the Facility for Electron Microscopy Research, the requested camera will serve investigations into virtually all aspects of Natural Sciences and Engineering. The new camera will replace an existing 14-year-old Gatan US4000 CCD camera, which is no longer produced or serviced by the vendor. It frequently breaks, leading to extended downtimes that impose significant delays in the research programs and completion time (PhD and MSc) for HQP. Delaying the acquisition of a new camera will cause these researchers to lose ground with their competitors working with modern cameras. The new requested camera will significantly enhance the quality and resolution of the acquired data. Its movie mode allows for drift compensation. This is especially beneficial on microscopes with a side entry holder, such as our Tecnai Spirit, where the camera will be installed. The new camera will also allow exceptional training of HQP. About 20 HQP in the applicants' laboratories will be hands-on trained on the new camera. However, the impact on HQP training will be broader since the system will be incorporated into FEMR and benefit the training of ~150 HQP from ~30 laboratories. This camera will play a central role in training the next generation of imaging scientists. Together with the staff at FEMR, our laboratories provide the context where HQP will develop electron microscopy and data analysis skills, which are presently highly sought after by biopharmaceutical companies developing vaccines and nanodevices for drug delivery.