Equipment

Specifications

Krios 1

Key features:

  • S-FEG 300 keV
  • C-Twin pole piece
  • FEI Volta phase plate
  • K3 bioquantum
  • EFTEM package
  • EPU,Tomo5, Serial EM

 

Krios 2

Key features:

  • X-FEG high-brightness gun 300 keV
  • C-Twin pole piece
  • Cs corrector
  • K2 bioquantum
  • FEI Falcon 3 Electron Counting DED
  • FEI Ceta camera
  • EPU and Tomo5

Screening cryo-TEM (Talos L120C)

The Titan Krios microscopes are dedicated to high-end data collection. However, specimen preparation optimization and checking is necessary in order to assure the best quality samples for data collection.

Therefore at NeCEN a screening electron microscope is available (120 kV). The screening microscope is meant to be used to check and/or optimize specimen preparation conditions (sample concentration, ice thickness, grid quality) as the subsequent step after sample vitrification using a cryogenic plunger. The screening microscope can also be used for teaching purposes and/or demonstrations.

 

Key features:

  •     LaB6 filament 120 keV
  •     C-Twin pole piece
  •     FEI Ceta camera
  •     EPU, Tomo5 and SerialEM                 

 

Aquilos cryo-FIB

The Aquilos cryo-FIB is a dedicated instrument to prepare frozen, thin lamella samples from biological specimens for high-resolution tomographic imaging in one of our Titan Krios.

Lab equipment

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Data computing and storage

Add available working stations etc.

 

Current text:

The data that is collected on the microscopes is very precious, as valuable time and efforts were dedicated to the preparation of the samples for imaging. The unprocessed imaged data is the basis for the subsequent image processing steps, leading to final structural models and scientific outcome. It is therefore crucial to store the data safely. We are using dedicated data storage facilities that are accessible remotely for copying and or processing data.

 

We have been developing and testing a commercial solution with SURFSara company. It is now a stable product called Research Drive. https://www.surf.nl/en/services-and-products/research-drive/index.html. When you data is being collected, it is automatically uploaded to Research Drive and we will give you an account to download the data to your own data center.

 

To make sure we collect the best data possible, we also developed a custom made on-the-fly processing plotting quality statistics about the data being collected. We also provide access to 4-GPUs workstations for the duration of your stay for initial processing.

 

At the end of the data collection we generate a quality report that we give you as a pdf (see Alewijnse, …, Carragher, Potter, Best practices for managing large cryoEM facilities, JSB, 2017)