🧬 About the UCSC Biomolecular Cryo-EM Facility
Overview
A state-of-the-art center for high-resolution structural biology using single-particle cryo-EM, cryo-ET, and advanced computational analysis
Provides end-to-end support: sample prep, automated data acquisition on the Glacios TEM, GPU processing, 3D reconstruction, structure-based drug discovery, and user training
Serves UCSC researchers, UC system users, external academic groups, and industry partners
Supports projects across virology, ribosome biology, membrane proteins, and immune complexes​
Mission
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Enable high-impact structural biology
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Provide equitable access to cryo-EM
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Train the next generation of cryo-EM scientists
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Accelerate structure-guided therapeutics and vaccine discovery
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Instrumentation & Infrastructure
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Thermo Fisher Scientific Glacios Cryo-TEM (NIH S10OD02509)
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Falcon4i direct electron detection
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Fringe-free system
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Stage calibration optimization for tilt-series data acquisition
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Automated data collection (EPU, TOMO-5 or SerialEM)
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Cryo-sample preparation lab (Vitrobot Mark IV, Leica GP2 and manual plunger)
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GPU-accelerated processing workstations
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Multi-petabyte high-speed storage
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Impact & Metrics
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20+ cryo-EM maps deposited
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Resolution range: 1.9 – 7.0 Å
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65+ users trained
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3+ PB data processed
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Global remote access collaborations