Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Infrastructure

位于惠康人类遗传学信托中心的牛津粒子成像中心是牛津300多个结构生物学研究社区跨部门访问和培训生物电子冷冻显微镜(CryoEM)和电子冷冻断层扫描(CryoET)的关键。最先进的低温EM和低温ET可以成像人类细胞、疾病病原体和疫苗工作的分子机制。这类研究可以准确地确定个体基因构成的差异如何通过细胞和分子水平的影响导致广泛的医疗疾病。同样，通过绘制我们的免疫系统最容易识别的病毒表面细节图，可以指导对抗新出现病毒的疫苗的设计。这项赠款申请是为了升级OPIC中最先进的低温EM和低温ET的仪器。OPIC在欧洲是独一无二的，因为它有能力在必要时在安全壳中运行低温EM和低温ET数据收集。OPIC通过与位于钻石光源的英国国家设施eBIC(电子生物成像中心)的合作，为更广泛的国家和国际用户社区提供了此类实验的机会。正在进行的对全世界人类健康重要的病毒和疫苗的分析将受益于所要求的设备。

The Oxford Centre for Particle Imaging at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics is pivotal for pan-departmental access and training in biological electron cryo microscopy (cryoEM) and electron cryo tomography (cryoET) for the 300+ structural biology research community in Oxford. State-of-the-art cryoEM and cryoET can image the molecular mechanisms by which human cells, disease pathogens and vaccines work. Such studies can pinpoint how differences in the genetic makeup of individuals contribute to a wide range of medical conditions through effects at the cellular and molecular level. Likewise, the design of vaccines to combat emergent viruses can be guided by mapping the surface details of the virus that are best recognised by our immune system. This grant application is to upgrade instrumentation for state-of-the-art cryoEM and cryoET in OPIC. OPIC isunique in Europe in having the capability, when necessary, to run cryoEM and cryoET data collection in containment. OPIC, through its association with the UK national facility, eBIC (electron Bio-Imaging Centre) at Diamond Light Source, provides access for such experiments to the broader national and international user community. On-going analyses on viruses and vaccines important to human health worldwide will benefit from the requested equipment.