General Lab Information

Laboratory for Biomolecular Structure

Instrumentation

In recognition of New York State’s funding of the instruments and to bring the spirit of New York to LBMS, each laboratory room is associated with a different iconic New York State landmark such as the Empire State Building, the Stonewall National Monument, and the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building.

'Empire' High-end Electron Microscope

The Empire High-end EM at LBMS is a Thermo Scientific Krios G3i Cryo Transmission Electron Microscope (Cryo-TEM) that offers an easy, fast, and reliable way for life science imaging at the molecular and cellular levels. This instrument consists of a highly stable 300 kV TEM platform and a cryo-sample Autoloader designed for automated applications such as single particle analysis (SPA) and cryo-electron tomography (Cryo-ET). It has a K3 Direct Electron Detector with a BioQuantum energy filter for increased signal-to-noise ratio of recorded images.

Prior to scheduling allocated time on our instruments, you can check the availability of all instruments in the LBMS Resource Calendar.

  • Operation voltage: 300 kV
  • Electron source: X-FEG
  • Camera: Ceta 16M CMOS camera 300kV, Gatan K3 direct electron detector
  • Resolution limit: < 1.4 Å at 0 degree stage tilt; < 2.3 Å at 70 degree stage tilt.
  • Thon ring: < 3.5 Å at a defocus of -2 μm on a carbon film
  • Ice accumulation rate inside the column: <0.7 nm/hr
  • Beam drift rate: < 0.3 μm per 24 hours
  • Beam intensity: <= 10% within 24 hours period of time
  • Stage Tilt Range: -70 to +70 degrees
  • Sample drift: < 0.5 nm/minute
  • Ice growth, contamination:
    • Samples in the column: up to 5 days with no observable contamination accumulation; Ice growth rate should be slow such that the transmission loss is less than 2% per 24 hours.
    • Samples stored in the sample exchange system: up to 3 days without observable contamination accumulation.
  • Position reproducibility of apertures: within 1.5 μm when the apertures are retracted and inserted
photo of Krios instrument

Krios G3i Cryo Transmission Electron Microscope


'Powell' Screening Electron Microscope 

The Powell Screening EM is a Thermo Scientific Talos L120C TEM transmission electron microscope designed for performance and productivity across a wide range of samples and applications, such as 2D and 3D imaging of cells, cell organelles, asbestos, polymers, and soft materials, both at ambient and cryogenic temperatures. The instrument is ideal for single particle analysis and tomography sample screening. Both negatively stained and cryo- samples can be screened.

  • Operation voltage: 20-120 kV
  • Electron source: LaB6
  • Camera: Ceta 16M CMOS camera
  • TEM point resolution: < 0.37 nm
  • Ice accumulation rate inside the column: <0.7 nm/hr
photo of Talos instrument

Thermo Scientific Talos L120C TEM


'Stonewall' Screening Electron Microscope

The Stonewall Screening EM is a Jeol JEM-2100F 200 kV transmission electron microscope with a field emission gun (FEG). The instrument is ideal for single particle analysis and tomography studies. Both negatively stained and vitrified samples can be screened.

  • Operation voltage: 80-200 kV
  • Electron source: FEG
  • Camera: Gatan US4000 (4K x 4K) CCD camera
  • TEM point resolution: < 0.27 nm
photo of JEOL instrument

Jeol JEM-2100F Transmission Electron Microscope


Aquilos 2 Cryo-Focused Ion Beam (cryo-FIB)

Cryo-FIB utilizes a focused ion beam to precisely remove excess material from both above and below the desired region in the vitrified sample, creating an ultra-thin slab, less than 300 nm in thickness, referred to as a 'lamella'. This lamella is then used for visualization with cryo-Electron Tomography (cryo-ET). The cutting-edge cryo-FIB instrument, Aquilos 2, recently installed, goes beyond facilitating DOE-mission related research; it opens up exciting possibilities for a wider range of fundamental scientific investigations with unprecedented nanometer-level to sub-micron resolution capabilities.

  • Fully rotatable cryo-stage (<-170°C) keeping samples at vitreous temperatures (Cooldown time: <30 min)
  • In-chamber retractable sputter coater for applying conductive coatings
  • GIS-system for applying protective coatings
  • CCD IR Camera and in-chamber Nav-Cam
  • Maps 3 for SEM with Correlative Workflow
  • Integrated Easy Lift NanoManipulator
  • Integrated Fluorescence Microscope and CLEM
photo of JEOL instrument

Aquilos 2 Cryo-Focused Ion Beam (cryo-FIB)