Electron Microscopy

Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging (CCMI) Electron Microscopy Facility is a central core facility administrated and financially supported by the Dean’s office in Yale Medical School. We provide expertise, instrumentation and training of modern electron microscopy, and work closely with investigators on their science projects. The facility is located at Sterling Hall of Medicine (333 Cedar Street), suite IE-26, 38 and 40. Anyone who wish to start an EM project or access to facility equipment should contact the facility director Xinran Liu at (203) 785-4050 or by email to xinran.liu@yale.edu.

Biological electron microscopy

Yale has a long history of excellence in biological electron microscopy (EM), It started with Dr. George Palade, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and founder of modern cell biology. He pioneered the use of electron microscopy and other techniques to discover tiny structures within cells and to discern their functions, his work established our basic understanding of cellular organization. Over several decades, the EM facility has been continuously providing EM techniques to investigators for their biological research. We actively work with internal and external scientists providing the EM services that include project consultation and the experimental design, sample preparation, imaging with transmission and scanning electron microscopes. More recently, we have implemented the cutting-edge techniques to support users who have needs to study 3D subcellular architecture, such as electron tomography (ET), focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), or correlative imaging of fluorescence microscopy and EM (CLEM). In addition, we offer user training to Yale researchers who would like to independently operate electron microscopes or use other sample preparation equipment in the facility.

Cryo electron microscopy

The Cryo EM Facility started in the Departments of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Physiology many years ago. To better support growing cryo EM demands, the operatoin has been integrated into the CCMI EM facility. We are the main support for the cryo EM community at Yale Medical School. Because of the complex nature of cryo EM projects, we do not offer full services currently. Instead, interested investigators are encouraged to contact the facility staff to discuss the logistics of using the facility or request the training. In general, new users are trained by facility staff and expected to independently prepare cryo EM sample and subsequent TEM imaging in the facility. For further information please contact Marc Llaguno at (203) 785-5902 or by email to marc.llaguno@yale.edu.

The information concerning all cryo EM resources across Yale campus can be found at the dedicated page: https://cryoem.yale.edu.

Acknowledgment

Proper acknowledgment enables us to obtain financial and other supports, so we can continue to provide the cutting-edge technologies and instrument for your research. If you are publishing or presenting data acquired in the core facility, please acknowledge our contribution. Here is an example: "The authors would like to thank Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging, Electron Microscopy Facility at Yale Medical School for assistance with the work presented here”.