Scientific impact
Visualizing macromolecular complexes in 3D provides important information about their behavior in living cells. At present, cryo-electron microscopy is the only way to image macromolecular complexes in a near native state. The new level resolution of the NeCEN microscopes will have a large impact on many scientific topics. The microscopes address the main challenges identified by the consortium partners beforehand:
- developing advanced cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) technology
- developing cryo-single particle analysis (cryo-SPA) technology
- applying this new generation of nanoscopy to important biological questions.
The microscopes enable new research for biologists and physicists, because of increased signal-to-noise ratio, recording speed, TEM automation and complex electron wave. On top of this they allow development of new technologies and thereby stimulate research even more.
Maintaining the technological edge
NeCEN’s ambition to be a centre of excellence can only be fulfilled by ensuring that its infrastructure and expertise are continuously extended, optimized and enhanced through an active research program. For this purpose, the partners will support NeCEN through developing novel approaches, including:
- Novel sample preparation routines (Dr. J.A. Post, Universiteit Utrecht)
- Novel electron optics (Prof. Kruit, TUDelft)
- Procedures for tomography (Prof. Koster, LUMC)
- Image analysis (Prof. Van Vliet, TUDelft)
- Data management, annotation and retrieval (Dr Verbeek, ULeiden)
- 3D electron protein crystallography, detector development, EM hardware, algorithm development (Prof. Zandbergen TUDelft, Prof. Abrahams, ULeiden)
- Visualization (Dr Dijkstra, LUMC)
- Low energy electron microscopy (Prof. Tromp, ULeiden)
- Scanning probe microscopy (Prof. Frenken, Dr Oosterkamp)
- Managing large scale open access high throughput infrastructure for structural biology (Dr Ravelli, LUMC, former station master at ESRF)
- Developing adaptations and improvements in methodological methods (Eindhoven University of Technology)
