Researchers at Duke are hard at work in the development of a novel vaccine to fight the coronavirus. The cryo-transmission electron microscope housed at Duke’s Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF) is playing a major role in this work. This microscope helps scientists determine the structure of proteins in the virus to help guide vaccine design. To learn more, see the press release here.
The Van Andel Research Institute is hosting a cryo-EM workshop August 13-15, 2018 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Full scholarships, including travel, are available for up to 15 graduate students. Applications are due May 11, 2018.
Taught by internationally recognized cryo-EM experts, Cryo-EM at the Van Andel Research Institute will give gifted graduate students an intense overview of the latest innovative methodology and its applications across several fields including cancer and neurodegenerative disease research. By the end of the week, students will have a greater appreciation of what can be achieved through the application of cryo-EM.
Sessions will cover:
The course is designed to engage students and promote discussion between fellow participants and course instructors. In addition to talks and hands-on lessons, there will be social events that will provide opportunities to network.
For more information and to apply please visit the workshop website. Questions can be directed to Aubrie Bruinsma at aubrie.bruinsma@vai.org.
Duke’s Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility will soon be home to a new cryo-transmission electron microscope: the FEI Krios. The microscope joins the FEI Talos Arctica (located at the the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS) as part of the Molecular Microscopy Consortium (MMC) in the Research Triangle. This consortium is a partnership between NIEHS, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The mission of the MMC is to enable the use of single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and other tools in molecular microscopy to researchers across North Carolina. Cryo-EM is increasingly being used to determine the structure of macromolecules at atomic resolution. There is also emerging interest in applying the technology to the ultrastructure analysis of cellular compartments. The MMC was established to meet the growing demand for instrumentation and expertise in this area.
Director Mario Borgnia leads the MMC and is supported by a Core Team of expert personnel from each participating institution. The MMC functions as a space where projects are carried out as scientific collaborations with members of the Core Team. The following types of projects are currently being pursued:
Researchers interested in using the MMC should contact Mario Borgnia (919-541-3120; mario.borgnia2@nih.gov) for details regarding the application process. The MMC is open to applications from academic institutions in the Triangle and surrounding regions.