The Electron Microscopy Core is available to investigators wishing to define ultrastructural details in their experimental systems. The EM Core assists with all aspects of studies brought to the lab including training, experimental design and interpretation of results.

A variety of preparation methods are available for transmission and scanning electron microscopy including ultra-thin sections of conventionally fixed samples, immunogold labeling, plunge-freezing cryo-EM and tomography.
 
Services:

• Thin sectioning of resin-embedded specimens
• High pressure freezing/freeze substitution
• Cryo-EM of specimens plunge-frozen with FEI Vitrobot 
• Negative Staining  
• Immunogold labeling of Lowicryl-embedded sections
• Scanning electron microscopy
• Atomic force microscopy
• Tomography
• Single particle analysis 

Links to Resources

To discuss possible applications and use of the facility, contact Zhuo Li, Ph.D., at 626 301-8265 or Marcia Miller, Ph.D., at 626 301-8264. Assistance with experimental design and training will be provided as desired.

Typical turnaround times for specimen preparation:

• 1-2 hours for negative staining
• 1-3 days for SEM
• 5-7 days for resin-embedded specimens
• 10-12 days for immunolabeling of specimens which must be first high pressure frozen, fixed, embedded in Lowicryl by freeze substitution and sectioned