News

BU CryoEM Core Facility workflow validation achieves a structure of apoferritin at 2.04 Å

August 16, 2024

image of a cryoEM map of the protein apoferritin — *Apoferritin protein cryoEM map determined at 2.04 Å*

We validated our Glacios 2 microscope and Vitrobot Mark IV plunge-freezing sample preparation device for high-resolution data acquisition by freezing a sample of apoferritin and determining its structure to a resolution of 2.04 Å from a dataset of 930 exposures. Our external processing workstation running cryoSPARC LIVE provided a preliminary structure by processing data as it was being collected on the microscope. This fully integrated core facility test going from sample to structure validates the BU CryoEM Core Facility for user operation and high-quality data collection. Please reach out to us if you would like to receive training and reserve facility instrumentation.

The new cryo-EM Core is open for grid freezing and sample screening

July 22, 2024

BU CryoEM Core Facility logo

The new cryo-EM Core is open for grid freezing and sample screening! Fully automated data collection will be ready soon.

https://www.bumc.bu.edu/ppb/2024/07/16/the-new-cryo-em-core-is-open-for-grid-freezing-and-sample-screening/

Celebrating the ‘First Light’ of the New CryoEM

April 19, 2024

The ‘First Light’ of Boston University’s Glacios-2 cryogenic electron microscope (cryo-EM) is an exciting step in the setup of the new Cryo-EM Core Facility.

professor adjusting the settings of a cryoEM microscope using the control pads. — *Edward Avedisian Professor and Chair of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics Vanna Zachariou, PhD, adjusts the settings of the cryoEM microscope in the control room*

Located on the Medical Campus, there are 25 research groups across the university ready to use the new core, including teams from the dental and medical schools along with the College of Art & Sciences and College of Engineering.

With this new instrumentation, investigators will be able to advance scientific discoveries in health and disease by determining structures of macromolecules at near-atomic resolution. Samples are frozen so quickly that the water freezes as a glass, providing samples that are kept in a near-native state.

professor standing beside cryoEM microscope showing the inner workings of the instrument — *Jamie McKnight, PhD, Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Medical Sciences and Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, with the cryoEM microscope*

Thousands of images will be collected daily and analyzed using computers in the facility and at the Boston University Shared Computing Cluster. Planned experiments include studies on the heart, muscle, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, G protein coupled receptor complexes, bacterial and viral infections, enzyme function, nanoparticles and protein biosynthesis and transport.

This is BU’s first cryo-EM core facility, updating older cryo-EMs located in the department of pharmacology, physiology & biophysics.

Dean sitting in front of the microscope computer preparing for the first light — *Dean Antman inside the control room of the cryoEM core facility, ready to open the column valves that will send electrons down the column for “First Light”*

The cryo-EM was funded, in part, by a National Institutes of Health Shared Instrumentation Grant awarded to Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics Esther Bullitt, PhD. The expansion of EM facilities and recruitment of structural biology faculty has been one of the high-priority goals for Vanna Zachariou, PhD, Edward Avedisian Professor and chair of the department.

members of the PPB team sitting in the control room of the cryoEM core facility posing for a photo — *Members of the Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics team gather with Dean Antman during the “First Light” ceremony*

A ‘First Light’ gathering was held Friday to celebrate the inaugural electron beam from the instrument, which was configured by Dean Antman. Alignment and testing of the Glacios-2 are continuing, and it is expected the facility will be ready for use in the near future.

https://www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/2024/04/19/celebrating-the-first-light-of-the-new-cryoem/

Glacios-2 cryo-TEM has landed at Boston University

March 15, 2024

We have received the shipment of crates containing the Glacios-2 cryo transmission electron microscope and supporting equipment. The components will be carefully assembled and aligned over the next few months by ThermoFisher to prepare for high quality data collection in a semi-automated high-throughput fashion. We are very excited for all of the future discoveries to come out of this cryoEM core facility!