300kV high-resolution cryo electron microscopie setup

冷冻-EM最近改变了结构生物学和细胞生物学领域，为生命科学中大量棘手的挑战提供了洞察力。纯化的大分子机器的真正原子分辨率成像，以及直接在其自然环境中对动态络合物的机理研究，现在是触手可及的。明斯特大学是世界领先的“细胞动力学和多尺度成像”和“纳米科学”研究领域的大学，但目前还不能使用低温EM。然而，需求是巨大的，几个研究项目和跨学科结构研究的成功高度依赖于这一关键方法。广泛的用户群包括来自医学、生物、化学和药学学院的群体。为了满足社区的需求，低温电子显微镜仪器将是单颗粒分析和细胞低温电子断层扫描工作流程的最佳选择，因此涵盖了非常广泛的样品：合成纳米结构、纯化的大分子组件、膜蛋白、病毒、细胞器、整个细胞和切片。所要求的仪器包括120千伏屏蔽式透射电子显微镜、集成了相关荧光显微镜的低温聚焦离子束显微镜和配备了直接探测器、能量滤光器和伏特相板的高端300千伏低温瞬变显微镜，它们最好地满足了这些要求，并将充分利用它们的能力。低温电磁仪可以毫无延误地安装在新的跨学科研究大楼“软纳米科学中心”，该中心最初是为安装这种仪器而设计的，现在已经包括一个专门的超现代低温电磁区。这一迫切需要的投资将成为发展WWU研究概况的中心枢纽和孵化器，也是多尺度成像在国际研究领域保持竞争力的先决条件。

Cryo-EM has recently transformed the fields of structural biology and cell biology, providing insights into a plethora of intractable challenges in life sciences. True atomic resolution imaging of purified macromolecular machines, as well as mechanistic studies of dynamic complexes directly in their native environment, are now within reach. Münster is a world leading University in the research areas of “Cells Dynamics and Multiscale Imaging” and “Nanoscience”, but currently has no access to cryo-EM. The demand is, however, immense and the success of several research projects and interdisciplinary structural studies are highly dependent on this key methodology. The broad user-base includes groups from the faculties of Medicine, Biology and Chemistry and Pharmacy. To serve the needs of the community, the cryo-EM instrumentation will be optimal for both single particle analysis and cellular cryo-electron tomography workflows and thus cover a very wide range of samples: synthetic nanostructures, purified macromolecular assemblies, membrane proteins, viruses, organelles, whole cells and sections. The requested instrumentation with a 120kV screening TEM, a cryo-Focused-Ion-Beam Microscope with an integrated correlative fluorescence light microscope and a high-end 300kV cryo-TEM equipped with direct detector, energy filter and Volta Phase Plate fulfill these requirements optimally and will be used at their full capacities. The cryo-EM instruments can be installed without any delays at the new interdisciplinary research building “Center for Soft Nanoscience”, which was originally designed to host such instrumentation and already includes a dedicated ultra-modern cryo-EM area. This urgently needed investment will be a central hub and incubator for the development of WWU’s research profiles, as well as a prerequisite to remain competitive in Multiscale Imaging in the international research landscape.