Electron Microscopy Unit

The Electron Microscopy Unit of the BEPS provides state-of-the-art instrumentation, training, and services. The unit collaborates on projects using immuno-electron microscopy and electron tomography. Training on specimen preparation, including cryo-techniques, can also be provided. Please find a full list of services and pricing in the lab resources section below. 

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)

Image taken using electron mictroscopy
Image by Hong Xu, Ph.D. et al., NHLBI, obtained using BEPS’s TEM equipped with CCD camera
  • Fully automated FEI Tecnai T12 transmission electron microscope
  • High-sensitivity 2k x 2k CCD camera for digital imaging and transfer of data across network directly to users’ laboratories.
  • Automated electron tomography, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy
  • Immuno electron microscopy

Preparative Techniques for TEM

  • Standard fixation, embedding and sectioning (Leica EM UC6 microtome)
  • High-pressure fixation (BalTec HPM 010)
  • Freeze-substitution (Leica EM AFS 1/2)
  • Pre- and post-embedding immunolabeling, cryosectioning (Tokyuasu technique) (Leica Ultracut UCT/FCS cryomicrotome)
  • Negative staining of macromolecular assemblies

Scanning Electron Microscopy

Image taken using scanning electron microscope
Image by Bechara Kachar, M.D., NIDCD, obtained using BEPS’s Scanning Electron Microscope
  • Fully automated Hitachi S-4800 field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) provides tool for determining 3D surface morphology of cells and biomaterials
  • Users can be trained to collect SEM images independently
  • Sputter coater (Balzers) for specimen preparation
  • Critical point dryer (EM Sciences)

Serial Block Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM)

  • Fully automated Zeiss Sigma/Gatan 3View Serial block face SEM provides 3D imaging of tissues (up to 300 microns across) at the nanoscale
  • Visualization software for 3D rendering of biological structures
  • Specialized specimen preparation techniques for SBF-SEM of tissues and isolated cells

Location of Electron Microscopy Unit

Image obtained using BEPS serial block face SEM
Image by Abner Notkins, M.D., et al., NIDCR, obtained using BEPS’s Serial Block Face SEM

Building 13 on the NIH campus

Pricing

  • Tecnai T12 TEM (BEPS staff operation) $150 per hour 
  • Tecnai T12 TEM (client operation) $80 per hour
  • Zeiss SIGMA/Gatan 3View SBF-SEM $100 per hour
  • Hitachi S-4800 (client operation) $100 per hour 
  • EM Sample Embedding $300 for 1-5 samples
  • EM Sample Sectioning $80 per sample 
  • EM Immunostaining $400 per set

Mayorova TDHammar KJung JHAronova MAZhang GWinters CAReese TSSmith CL
Sci Rep
2021 Dec 02


 

Rhee SWPokrovskaya IDBall KKLing KVedanaparti YCohen JCruz DRDZhao OSAronova MAZhang GKamykowski JALeapman RDStorrie B
Commun Biol
2021 Sep 16


 

Aronova MANoh SJZhang GByrnes CMeier ERKim YCLeapman RD
iScience
2021 Aug 20


 

Benjamini DHutchinson EBKomlosh MEComrie CJSchwerin SCZhang GPierpaoli CBasser PJ
Neuroimage
2020 Nov 01


 

Zhang RLee DMJimah JRGerassimov NYang CKim SLuvsanjav DWinkelman JMettlen MAbrams MEKalia RKeene PPandey PRavaux BKim JHDitlev JAZhang GRosen MKFrost AAlto NMGardel MSchmid SLSvitkina TMHinshaw JEChen EH
Nat Cell Biol
2020 Jun


 

Chen ZWang ZHZhang GBleck CKEChung DJMadison GPLindberg ECombs CBalaban RSXu H
J Cell Biol
2020 Jul 06
 
Jha AChung WYVachel LMaleth JLake SZhang GAhuja MMuallem S
EMBO J
2019 Jun 17
 
Yoon YIPang XJung SZhang GKong MLiu GChen X
J Mater Chem B
2018


 

Tang WFan WWang ZZhang WZhou SLiu YYang ZShao EZhang GJacobson OShan LTian RCheng SLin LDai YShen ZNiu GXie JChen X
ACS Nano
2018 Dec 26


 

Pokrovskaya IDJoshi STobin MDesai RAronova MAKamykowski JAZhang GWhiteheart SWLeapman RDStorrie B
Blood Adv
2018 Nov 13


 

Yang KLiu YLiu YZhang QKong CYi CZhou ZWang ZZhang GZhang YKhashab NMChen XNie Z
J Am Chem Soc
2018 Apr 04


 

Song JWu BZhou ZZhu GLiu YYang ZLin LYu GZhang FZhang GDuan HStucky GDChen X
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
2017 Jul 03


 

Zhou ZSong JTian RYang ZYu GLin LZhang GFan WZhang FNiu GNie LChen X
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
2017 Jun 01


 

Bryant LHKim SJHobson MMilo BKovacs ZIJikaria NLewis BKAronova MASousa AAZhang GLeapman RDFrank JA
Nanomedicine
2017 Feb


Multimodal-Imaging-Guided Cancer Phototherapy by Versatile Biomimetic Theranostics with UV and γ-Irradiation Protection.

Lin JWang MHu HYang XWen BWang ZJacobson OSong JZhang GNiu GHuang PChen X
Adv Mater
2016 May
 
Chen RJZhang GGarfield SHShi YJChen KGRobey PGLeapman RD
PLoS One
2015


 

Wang KXu RSchrandt JShah PGong YZPreston CWang LYi JKLin CLSun WSpyropoulos DDRhee SLi MZhou JGe SZhang GSnider AJHannun YAObeid LMMao C
PLoS Genet
2015 Oct


 

Huang PGao YLin JHu HLiao HSYan XTang YJin ASong JNiu GZhang GHorkay FChen X
ACS Nano
2015 Oct 27


 


 

Kim JHRen YNg WPLi SSon SKee YSZhang SZhang GFletcher DARobinson DNChen EH
Dev Cell
2015 Mar 09


 


 


 

Arscott WTTandle ATZhao SShabason JEGordon IKSchlaff CDZhang GTofilon PJCamphausen KA
Transl Oncol
2013 Dec 01


 

Huang XZhang FWang HNiu GChoi KYSwierczewska MZhang GGao HWang ZZhu LChoi HSLee SChen X
Biomaterials
2013 Feb


 

Bhirde AAKapoor ALiu GIglesias-Bartolome RJin AZhang GXing RLee SLeapman RDGutkind JSChen X
ACS Nano
2012 Jun 26


 

Sousa AAMorgan JTBrown PHAdams AJayasekara MPZhang GAckerson CJKruhlak MJLeapman RD
Small
2012 Jul 23


 

Huang XZhang FLee SSwierczewska MKiesewetter DOLang LZhang GZhu LGao HChoi HSNiu GChen X
Biomaterials
2012 Jun
 
Xing RZhang FXie JAronova MZhang GGuo NHuang XSun XLiu GBryant LHBhirde ALiang AHou YLeapman RDSun SChen X
Nanoscale
2011 Dec


 

Xie JZhang FAronova MZhu LLin XQuan QLiu GZhang GChoi KYKim KSun XLee SSun SLeapman RChen X
ACS Nano
2011 Apr 26


 

Lin XXie JNiu GZhang FGao HYang MQuan QAronova MAZhang GLee SLeapman RChen X
Nano Lett
2011 Feb 09


 


Nanoscale 3D cellular imaging by axial scanning transmission electron tomography.

Hohmann-Marriott MFSousa AAAzari AAGlushakova SZhang GZimmerberg JLeapman RD
Nat Methods
2009 Oct