The Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy is the part of the Electron Microscopy Resource Laboratory that provides access to state-of the art cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo electron tomography (cryo-ET) for structural investigation of macromolecules and cells. The facility houses a Titan Krios G3i microscope equipped with phase plate, K3 Summit Direct Detector camera and Bioquantum GIF energy filter. In addition, the facility has Vitrobot cryo plunger and all accessories needed to perform sample preparation for cryo-EM. The facility is available to Penn research groups and external academic research groups in the greater Philadelphia area.

The Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy is exclusively for cryo-EM screening and data collection on the Titan Krios microscope. If your samples are at a very early stage, we refer you to our Cryo-EM Screening and Training Facility for negative staining and pre-screening.

We offer the following services at the Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy:

  • Freezing, screening and optimization of samples for cryo-EM.
  • Users may choose to have screening done by our staff or to receive hands-on training and perform their own screening assisted by staff.
  • High resolution data acquisition of the prescreened samples on the Krios G3i microscope.
  • Data transfer via the Penn network (internal users only), hard drives or file sharing services such as Globus (user needs to provide account).
  • The facility is currently restricted to staff for operation and management of the microscope.

Note: The Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy does not provide cryo-EM data processing and reconstruction services. However, we may be able to assist - please inquire if you need help with data processing. 


To request services please contact us at: BECKMAN_SERV@lists.upenn.edu

Research Resource Identifier (RRID)

Our RRID is RRID:SCR_022375. Please cite us using this identifier when publishing your results. 

 

Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy Faculty Director
Vera Moiseenkova-Bell, Ph.D.
Professor of Pharmacology
Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics

Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy Core Director
Stefan Steimle, Ph.D.
stefan.steimle@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Location and hours of operation