Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope
Lead Research Organisation:
The Francis Crick Institute
Department Name: Research
Abstract
The Crick is a partnership between the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and three leading universities: University College London, Imperial College London and King's College London. The Crick aspires to be one of the world's leading medical research institutes.
The Crick achieves operational and research efficiencies and economies-of-scale through centralised facilities and functions, known as Science Operations, that provide all researchers at the Crick, irrespective of affiliation, with access to cutting-edge equipment, animals for research and laboratory enabling functions such as the Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform (EM STP). Electron microscopy is a fundamental tool in bioscience research. It is used to image the structure of proteins, pathogens, cells and tissues, to help us understand the biological processes of normal development, disease states, and the effect of therapies.
This proposal is for a new scanning electron microscope that will be used for state-of the-art imaging experiments for more than 60 research projects ongoing at the Crick. The microscope can image the surface of cells and tissues to reveal, for example, how immune cells fight infection, how nerve cells connect and communicate, and how drugs work against a range of infectious agents. The microscope has a range of additional features, including automated image stitching to allow us to view large samples and digitally zoom into features of interest (like 'google maps'); faster, more automated, three-dimensional imaging of samples using a technique called array tomography; and a cryo-stage for imaging samples encased in ice, as close to their living state as possible.
The Crick achieves operational and research efficiencies and economies-of-scale through centralised facilities and functions, known as Science Operations, that provide all researchers at the Crick, irrespective of affiliation, with access to cutting-edge equipment, animals for research and laboratory enabling functions such as the Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform (EM STP). Electron microscopy is a fundamental tool in bioscience research. It is used to image the structure of proteins, pathogens, cells and tissues, to help us understand the biological processes of normal development, disease states, and the effect of therapies.
This proposal is for a new scanning electron microscope that will be used for state-of the-art imaging experiments for more than 60 research projects ongoing at the Crick. The microscope can image the surface of cells and tissues to reveal, for example, how immune cells fight infection, how nerve cells connect and communicate, and how drugs work against a range of infectious agents. The microscope has a range of additional features, including automated image stitching to allow us to view large samples and digitally zoom into features of interest (like 'google maps'); faster, more automated, three-dimensional imaging of samples using a technique called array tomography; and a cryo-stage for imaging samples encased in ice, as close to their living state as possible.
Technical Summary
The Crick aspires to be one of the world's leading medical research institutes. It achieves research efficiencies through centralised facilities and functions such as the Electron Microscopy Scientific Technology Platform (EM STP). An MRC-funded Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG SEM) will be placed in the EM STP and made available to 60+ research groups at the Crick, with any spare capacity being made available to the wider UK research community. This application is made by Lucy Collinson (Head of the EM STP) with seven Crick Group Leaders, representing the diverse research projects at the Crick that will be supported by the instrument. The research includes: The role of mitochondria in neuronal synaptic transmission (Devine); development of time-resolved cryo-EM for structural biology (Enchev); development of super-resolution cryogenic chemical imaging for developmental biology (Gould); evasion of host immune responses by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Gutierrez); sensory circuits and neurotechnology (Schaefer); the function of cutaneous mechanosensory neurons (Tapon); and mapping tumour metabolism (Yuneva). Additional capabilities for array tomography, scanning transmission EM and cryo-SEM will be incorporated into the instrument to support this research. Acquisition of the API will allow new algorithms for automated imaging to be incorporated into the user interface via the open-source SBEMImage software in collaboration with the Crick Scientific Computing STP. The instrument will be integrated into correlative workflows, and training materials generated to build skills for researchers and research technology professionals.
