Cryo-Electron Microscopy

We use cryo-electron microscopy to answer questions about the form and function of biological "machines" that play key roles in human health and disease.

About Us

Advances in microscope technology and computing have paved the way for cryo-electron microscopy to move structural biology into a new era — allowing scientists to study the form and function of biological "machines" that are too large to study using X-ray crystallography.

The U-M Life Sciences Institute is home to a world-class electron microscopy facility, with state-of-the-art instruments and faculty specializing in this emerging field.

Biosciences Initiative logo

New funding through the U-M Biosciences Initiative will enable the university to become an international leader in the field and a premier destination for cryo-EM research and training. With this funding, the cryo-EM program is expanding into new technologies and developing additional educational and training opportunities to bring the technique to labs across campus, as well as to the growing ranks of practitioners across the world.

Research, News & Publications

Announcements

Registration is open for the 2025 Cryo-EM Workshop, "I have my data set — Now what?"
This year's hands-on event will focus exclusively on approaches to deal with conformational/compositional heterogeneity. Register here before 5:00 p.m. on March 21.

Erica Murbach, Ph.D., joined the LSI cryo-EM team in April 2024. Erica completed her graduate studies in cell biology with Heidi Hehnly at Upstate Medical University, where she developed her knowledge and skills as a confocal and super-resolution light microscopist studying PLK1 interactions and activities during mitosis. She then went on to work for Ryoma Ohi as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan for a short time, developing tools to understand the relationship between the kinesin HSET and centrosome clustering during mitosis. From there, she completed postdoctoral studies at University of South Florida in  Huzefa Dungrawala’s lab, determining the differential DNA fork protection methods and replication stress responses between early and late S-phase cells. While at the LSI, Erica will help make cryo-ET and CLEM accessible to researchers within and outside of the LSI.

Partner with Us

We want to help researchers at U-M perform the best structural biology possible.

Use our access form to submit a brief description of the sample you would like to visualize. Based on your request, our faculty will schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss strategies.

Participants attending the LSI's Cryo-EM Workshop
Educational Resources
Find protocols, tutorials, and connect with members of the U-M cryo-EM community.
Scheduling
The Cryo-EM facility uses MiCores/iLab to schedule time on the microscopes.

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