Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

New methods from researchers at UW-Madison will advance the emerging field of cryo-EM by addressing technical challenges and reducing the cost of sample preparation.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a global leader in cryo-EM, with both the UW-Madison Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center and the National Center for Quantitative Biology of Complex Systems on campus. When implemented, these methods will improve the sample preparation process, making it more repeatable, efficient and robust.

Featured Researchers and Centers

Elizabeth Wright is the Henry Ladry Professor of Biochemistry and the director of both the UW-Madison Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center and the Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography (MCCET). The Wright Lab develops correlative and cryo-electron microscopy technologies that can be applied to define nano-scale architecture of bacteria, viruses and human cells. The UW-Madison Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center (CEMRC) is a research facility dedicated to providing instrumentation, technical assistance, training and access to cryo-EM for the UW-Madison research community. The CEMRC manages and operates four cryo-microscopes for data collection.
Joshua Coon, director of the National Center for Quantitative Biology of Complex Systems, is a professor of biomolecular chemistry and chemistry and a recognized expert in mass spectrometry. He leads Coon Laboratories, a research group focused on developing and applying new technologies in mass spectrometry and proteomics. The National Center for Quantitative Biology of Complex Systems is an NIH Biotechnology Research Resource located on the UW-Madison campus, which aims to develop and apply innovative, efficient and accessible technologies for proteomic analysis.
Ci Ji Lim is an assistant professor of biochemistry and the principal investigator of the Lim Lab, which focuses on telomere maintenance and DNA replication.

 

Featured Technologies

Gas Phase Sample Preparation For Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Uses mass spectrometry to purify proteins and protein complexes, improving image resolution and sensitivity while decreasing image acquisition time.
Joshua Coon, Michael Westphall

Freezing and Jacketing Gas-Phase Biomolecules with Amorphous Ice for Electron Microscopy
Uses mass spectrometry to image fragile or flexible biomolecules with high image resolution and sensitivity.
Joshua Coon, Michael Westphall

Cryogenic Soft Landing Improves Structural Preservation of Protein Complexes
Combines mass spectrometry and cryo-EM to enable precise, vacuum-compatible sample deposition and in situ ice formation and improve image resolution.
Joshua Coon, Michael Westphall, Timothy Grant, Keaton Mertz, Colin Hemme, Austin Salome, Scott Quarmby

Compositions and Methods for Preparation of a Cryogenic Electron Microscopy Sample
Uses small stress-response proteins to act as a “barrier” at the air-water interface to prevent sample clumping or damage.
Ci Ji Lim

Device for Facilitating the Imaging of Biological Entities
Uses a two-piece microfluidic flow cell for imaging live-cell samples for preservation and subsequent cryo-EM imaging.
Elizabeth Wright, Nicholas Rienstra, Steve Garvis, Juan Sanchez

Interested in learning more? Contact Jennifer Gottwald.

WARF