UVA molecular electron microscopy core for the Mid-Atlantic region

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Abstract The Molecular Electron Microscopy Core (MEMC) facility at the University of Virginia (UVa) is comprised of three transmission electron microscopes. An FEI 120 kV Spirit is housed on the second floor of the Snyder Translational Research Building at Fontaine Research Park. An FEI 200 kV F20 and a 300 kV Titan Krios are located in a specially designed suite in the underground Life Sciences Annex (LiSA) adjacent and connected to the Snyder Building. Anticipating future growth in high-resolution cryoEM research, the suite was designed to accommodate two Titan Krios electron microscopes. The Titan Krios has an autoloader that robotically manipulates up to 12 frozen grids inserted at one time, uses constant current lenses for greater stability, is equipped with an XFEG for improved illumination and a Falcon II direct electron detector. In 2009, the abstract of our G20 grant that supported the build-out of the LiSA suite stated, “The MEMC facility will (1) enhance the quality of research at UVa, (2) increase scientific productivity, (3) foster communication, interactions and collaboration amongst scientists, (4) boost the ability of UVa to attract and maintain premier faculty and students, and (5) strengthen the competitiveness of our faculty for funding. The MEMC facility will not only be available to School of Medicine faculty members but also to other scientists in other schools and departments at UVa. This will be a unique Core laboratory at UVa, and we envision that scientists throughout Virginia and the surrounding states will visit UVa to take advantage of such a cutting-edge laboratory for performing molecular resolution electron microscopy.” We have a strong spirit of collegiality and collaboration at UVa and welcome the opportunity to share the MEMC facility within UVa and beyond. We believe that our vision of the MEMC facility as a state-of-the-art cryoEM center for scientists in the mid-Atlantic region has already been realized. Over the last two years, 23 labs at UVa and 12 external labs have collected data using the MEMC. 14 labs have collected data using the Titan Krios. Half of the available time will be devoted to Consortium PIs, who have substantial experience in cryoEM and image analysis: Drs. Jenny Hinshaw (NIH), Deborah Kelly (Virginia Tech), Melanie Ohi (Vanderbilt), Montserrat Samso (VCU), and Peijun Zhang (Pitt). As the primary internal UVa users of the MEMC, Drs. Yeager and Egelman have more than 5 decades of experience. As Director of the Core, Dr. Kelly Dryden interacts closely with all users. The U24 grant, combined with $300K/year provided by the UVa School of Medicine, would make the MEMC financially sustainable.