Facility Details

The integrated BioCryo 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 or at ambient temperature. This facility provides expertise and equipment for cryofixation and processing of frozen hydrated samples by high-pressure freezing, plunge freezing, cryo fracturing, cryo ultramicrotomy, freeze substitution, and turbo freeze-drying. Conventional samples can be processed at ambient temperature with chemical fixation, dehydration, and resin embedding, or critical point drying.
The BioCryo Facility also offers analytical STEM with EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) and EELS (Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy), serial sectioning for 3D reconstruction, and immunolabeling, as well as image processing. This repertoire of capabilities is constantly expanded by implementation of additional innovative instrumentation and techniques into BioCryo workflows.
In addition to offering consultation and training on instruments and sample preparation techniques, BioCryo staff mentors new users, advises on experimental design, and collaborates with researchers in experiments with challenging and unconventional samples. Similar to the other NUANCE facilities (EPIC, Keck-II, SPID), the BioCryo Facility participates in numerous educational and outreach events, e.g. workshops, seminars, demos, and facility tours.