Trans-NIH Electron Microscopy Facility

Thursday, October 27, 2011 — Core Poster Session
10:00 a.m. – Noon	South Lobby of Building 10	NIBIB	CORE-23

Authors

• G Zhang
• V Speransky

Abstract

The Trans-NIH Electron Microscopy Facility is located in Building 13 on the NIH campus, within NIBIB’s Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science Shared Resource. Our mission is to provide state-of-the-art instrumentation, training, and services for characterizing subcellular structure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and associated specimen preparation methods. Available methods include conventional fixation, embedding, and sectioning of cells and tissues for TEM, as well as high-pressure freezing and freeze-substitution for optimized specimen preservation. We also offer immunogold labeling to localize specific proteins within cells, either by pre-embedding, post-embedding, or on thawed cryosections (the Tokuyasu technique). In addition, investigators have access to techniques for determining structure of isolated macromolecular complexes by negative staining, as well as mass mapping based on scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) of unstained preparations. The facility includes one of the few SEMs on the NIH campus, a Hitachi S-4800 field-emission SEM, providing a capability for determining the surface morphology of cells and biomaterials. Our TEM is a brand new, fully automated FEI Tecnai 12, capable of determining three-dimensional subcellular structure by automated electron tomography. Training is offered for some of the instruments in the facility so that researchers can record their own electron micrographs.

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