A grant has been awarded to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) under the direction of Dr. David Chaplin for partial support of the purchase of a 200 kV field-emission gun cryo-electron microscope (cryo-EM). Contemporary research in a broad range of scientific disciplines ranging from nanotechnology, to biochemistry, virology, and cell biology relies on defining molecular structures to understand biophysical and biochemical mechanisms. Electron microscopy is one of the most important techniques in modern life science research and the only one that is able to directly image structures ranging in size from individual atoms to whole cells and tissues. Cryo-electron microscopy is a technique that allows biological material to be imaged in its native, hydrated form, in the absence of the damaging stains and fixatives required by conventional electron microscopy. Due to its high quality imaging system, the cryo-EM can achieve a resolution that approaches that of X-ray crystallography, allowing structure determination of proteins and protein/nucleic acid complexes. Using tomographic approaches, the three-dimensional organization of whole cells and organelles can be visualized in their native, functional states. The acquisition of this cryo-EM is a central component of campus-wide structural biology initiatives that link the UAB School of Medicine and School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics. The instrument will be available on a shared basis to researchers throughout the southeast United States, expanding its impact to that of a regional resource.
Establishment of the 200 kV cryo-EM at UAB will dramatically accelerate research and promote teaching, training, and learning at UAB. Several research programs, ranging from the structure and assembly of bacteriophages and animal viruses to cell wall pore proteins and the analysis of nanoparticles used in preparation of prosthetic joints will benefit from the availability of this instrument. In addition to these ongoing research projects, the cryo-EM will stimulate the development of new research initiatives and will support the expansion of training programs leading to careers in structural biology research. These training initiatives will include laboratory courses available to both undergraduate and graduate students at UAB. The cryo-EM will also be used as part of the BioTeach program offered through UAB's Center for Community Outreach and Development. BioTeach provides basic knowledge and laboratory skills to high school science teachers.
The acquisition of this 200 kV cryo-EM will dramatically advance the scientific discovery process and will promote teaching, training, and learning at UAB. Local availability of this cryo-EM will accelerate progress in research focused on structural aspects of virus assembly and maturation, and in nanostructures for bioengineering and biomedicine. Lastly, the cryo-EM will be used in an educational program to exposes Alabama K-12 teachers to high-end instruments and modern approaches used in scientific research. This experience is expected to stimulate their students, particularly underserved minorities and females, to consider post-secondary educational training and careers in science.
