Cryo-electron microscopy EPN/Grenoble BAG

ESRF is privileged to host two state-of-the-art microscopes. Our BAG unites the majority of local labs that utilise cryo-EM to address their diverse structural biology questions, including researchers from the EPN campus (IBS, ESRF, ILL and EMBL) and its vicinity (Cell & Plant Physiology Laboratory LPCV, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences - GIN, Institute for Advanced Biosciences - IAB).
In a nutshell, approximately 30 principal investigators would greatly benefit from Krios time, with 100 different samples proposed. The high demand for EM beamtime is partially met by two Glacios microscopes available on the campus, currently charged with the pre-screening, but also frequently yielding satisfactory structural insights. Nonetheless, the use of a Krios is indispensable for challenging samples (with heterogeneity or limited concentration requiring a large number of images, small proteins, etc.). Only such “difficult cases” will be selected for Krios time at the BAG level.

欧洲同步辐射光源（ESRF）荣幸地配备两台顶尖级显微镜。我们的BAG联合了绝大多数利用冷冻电镜（cryo-EM）解决各类结构生物学问题的本地实验室，成员涵盖来自EPN园区（包含IBS、ESRF、ILL及EMBL）及其周边区域的研究人员，具体包括细胞与植物生理学实验室LPCV、格勒诺布尔神经科学研究所GIN以及高等生物科学研究所IAB的科研团队。
简言之，约30名首席研究员可通过Krios显微镜机时获得研究支持，当前累计收到100份不同样品的申请。由于对电镜束流时间的需求居高不下，校园内现有的两台Glacios显微镜可部分缓解这一供需矛盾：目前它们主要承担样品预筛查工作，同时也常能产出令人满意的结构生物学解析结果。不过，针对存在异质性、浓度有限需大量成像、小型蛋白质等挑战性样品，使用Krios显微镜是不可或缺的。在BAG层面，仅这类“疑难案例”才可获批Krios显微镜的机时。