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The Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform is hosted at the ALBA Synchrotron as part of the JEMCA ( Joint Electron Microscopy Center at ALBA) and operated by the IBMB-CSIC.


The Platform (EM01-Cryo-TEM ) is equipped with:

A 200 kV TEM, Glacios from ThermoFisher Scientific,

with extreme field emission gun (X-FEG) optics, equipped with a cryogenic sample manipulator robot for up to 12 grids and a last generation Falcon 4 direct electron detector with a capability of 300 movies/h. Its high level of automation and user guidance of experimental settings enable scientists to efficiently unravel protein structures in 3D, as well as understand their functional context in the biological cell.

There is a sample preparation room equipped with the following equipment:

  • Vitrobot Marc IV vitrification system
  • GLoQube to grid treatment previous to vitrification
  • Equipment to clip the grids
  • L-N2 dewars to store the grids

The data sets generated are pre-processed on-the-fly with a powerful GPU workstation and can be stored up to 30 days at ALBA. Users can download their data either locally using an external disk or through the network.

This microscope has been funded through ERDF and owned by six partner institutions (the IBMB-CSIC, acting as owner of the equipment, the ALBA Synchrotron, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB Barcelona), the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB))

This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union in the framework of the Operational Program ERDF of Catalonia 2014-2020 with a grant of 850,000.00 €

02/02/2024 – The first article of Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform has been published on Science [New]. Researchers at the CRG, the CNIO and the IBMB-CSIC have captured the world’s first high-resolution images of the earliest moments of microtubule formation inside human cells.


24/02/2023 – Inauguration of the Joint Electron Microscopy Center at ALBA [New]. The “Conseller de Recerca i Universitats”, Joaquim Nadal i Farreras, inaugurated this morning the new JEMCA.


17/10/2022 – THE NEW CRYO-EM PLATFORM is running! [New]. The IBMB-CSIC Cryo-EM Platform, located at ALBA synchrotron, opened its doors to users belonging to founding institutions (IBMB, IRB, CRG, UAB and ALBA).


15/01/2021 – Awarded tender [Tender award Notice]. Supply and installation of a 200 kV transmission electron cryomicroscopy equipped with a gun emission field and direct electron detector for the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona.


23/02/2021 – New equipment acquired by the IBMB cryoEM Plattform [New]. The IBMB cryoEM Plattform has acquired a Thermo Scientific Glacios Cryo Transmission Electron Microscope equipped with the last generation Direct Electron Detector Falcon 4.


02/09/2021 – The Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform one step closer [New]. Last August 31 the ALBA synchrotron received the high-voltage cryo-electron microscope for biological applications to be hosted in the microscopy platform as a result of a joint action of 9 research institutions and the support of ERDF funds.

Glacios Cryo-TEM

Thermo Scientific Glacios Cryo Transmission Electron Microscope equipped with a Falcon 4. It features 200 kV XFEG optics, the industry-leading Autoloader and the same innovative automation for ease of use as on the Krios G4 Cryo-TEM.

– 200 kV High-brightness field emission gun (X-FEG)
– Automated and contamination-free loading of cassettes, containing up to 12 Autogrids
– Direct Electron Detector Falcon 4
– EPU Software for SPA sample assessment, optimization, and data acquisition

 

Thermo Scientific Vitrobot Mark IV

Thermo Scientific Vitrobot Mark IV System is a fully PC-controlled device for vitrification of biological samples.

– Fully automated, reproducible vitrification of aqueous suspensions
– Precise control of critical process parameters
– Enclosed environmental chamber
– High sample throughput

People

EM01-Cryo-TEM Tel.: +34 935 924 493

Publications

BRITO C, SERNA M, GUERRA P, LLORCA O,SURREY T.
Transition of human γ-tubulin ring complex into a closed conformation during microtubule nucleation.
Science, eadk6160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adk6160
For free access, click here

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