Northwestern University

Contact Info:

Reiner Bleher

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 60208-3108

https://nuance.northwestern.edu/facilities/biocryo/index.html

Grants and Identifiers:

RRID: RRID:SCR_021288

Instrumentation:

Other Equipment

TEM - JEOL 1400 Plus with OneView TEM - JEOL 3200FS with K2 STEM with Dual EDX - Hitachi HD2300 Cryo Transfer Holders - Gatan 626 for Hitachi, Gatan 626 and 698 for JEOL Plunge Freezer - FEI Vitrobot Mark III and IV High-Pressure Freezer - Leica HPM100 Cryo-Coater - Leica ACE600 (Cryo) Ultramicrotome - Leica UC7/FC7 and UC6 Vibrating-Blade Microtome - Leica VT1200 S Freeze Substitution - Leica AFS2 ASP-1000 Automated Sample Processor Critical Point Dryer - Tousimis SamDri 795

Services Provided:

Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Electron Microscopy

Freeze Substitution

High-Pressure Freezing

Immuno Electron Microscopy

Microscopy

Microtomy/Electron

Negative Staining For TEM

Sample Preparation

Tissue Processing

Transmission Electron Microscopy

Relevant Publications:

1.) Boucher JD, Stranford DM, Edelstein HI, Tullman-Ercek D, Kamat NP, Leonard JN (2025 Jul 4). Distinguishing Protein and Gene Delivery Enables Characterization and Bioengineering of Extracellular Vesicle-Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors bioRxiv, (), 2025.07.02.662894. . PMCID: 12236470.

2.) Vijayan V, Merz GE, Tsay K, Longhini AP, Lobo S, Quddus A, Nakagawa KL, Vigers MP, Melo AA, Tse E, Shea JE, Shell MS, Kosik KS, Southworth DR, Han S (2025 Jun 27). Structure-specific Mini-Prion Model for Alzheimer’s Disease Tau Fibrils bioRxiv, (), 2025.06.23.661111. . PMCID: 12262644.

3.) Li Y, Zhou W, Zhou Y, Cheng HF, Lee B, Hu X, Roth EW, Dravid VP, Glotzer SC, Mirkin CA (2025 Apr 18). Cocrystals combining order and correlated disorder via colloidal crystal engineering with DNA Science Advances, 11(16), eadu4919. . PMCID: 12007589.

4.) Diloknawarit B, Schaumann EN, Odom TW (2025 Feb 27). High-Curvature Features on Branched Nanoconstructs Circumvent Protein Corona Interference ACS applied materials & interfaces, 17(10), 15187-15195. . PMCID: 12085807.

5.) Li WS, Carter LM, Almassalha LM, Gong R, Pujadas-Liwag EM, Kuo T, MacQuarrie KL, Carignano M, Dunton C, Dravid V, Kanemaki MT, Szleifer I, Backman V (2025 Jan 24). Mature chromatin packing domains persist after RAD21 depletion in 3D Science Advances, 11(4), eadp0855. . PMCID: 11759041.

6.) Almassalha LM, Carignano M, Liwag EP, Li WS, Gong R, Acosta N, Dunton CL, Gonzalez PC, Carter LM, Kakkaramadam R, Kröger M, MacQuarrie KL, Frederick J, Ye IC, Su P, Kuo T, Medina KI, Pritchard JA, Skol A, Nap R, Kanemaki M, Dravid V, Szleifer I, Backman V (2025 Jan 10). Chromatin conformation, gene transcription, and nucleosome remodeling as an emergent system Science Advances, 11(2), eadq6652. . PMCID: 11721585.

7.) Laurence J, Nuovo G, Racine-Brzostek SE, Seshadri M, Elhadad S, Crowson AN, Mulvey JJ, Harp J, Ahamed J, Magro C (2022 Sep). Premortem Skin Biopsy Assessing Microthrombi, Interferon Type I Antiviral and Regulatory Proteins, and Complement Deposition Correlates with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Clinical Stage. The American journal of pathology, 192(9), 1282-1294. . PMID: 35640675.

Description:

The integrated BioCryo Core Facility provides a comprehensive source for characterization of biological, soft matter, and hybrid samples with TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), and STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy) at cryogenic and at ambient temperature. We provide expertise and access to equipment for cryofixation and processing of frozen hydrated samples by high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution, plunge freezing, freeze fracturing/etching/coating, and cryo/ultramicrotomy. We also process samples at ambient temperature with chemical fixation, dehydration, and resin embedment, or critical point drying. We also offer EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) for elemental analysis. In addition to offering training on instruments and sample preparation techniques, BioCryo staff offers consulting, mentors new users, advises on experimental design, and collaborates with researchers in experiments with challenging and unconventional samples. The BioCryo Facility participates in educational and outreach events, e.g. workshops, seminars, demos, and facility tours.