Abstract
The goal of this proposal is to secure funds to acquire a Zeiss Crossbeam 550 Field Emission Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM) with an Ion-sculptor Focused Ion Beam (FIB) column and a Quorum PP3010Z cryo-stage to
support NIH-funded research efforts at Emory University and member institutions of the Georgia Core Facilities
Partnership (GCFP). The cryo-FIB-SEM instrumentation will allow researchers to carry out three-dimensional
(3D) analysis of biological samples under room temperature and cryogenic conditions. This equipment will be
used to investigate cellular ultrastructure in 3D with enough resolution to observe details of cellular organelles
and generate quantitative data. The dual beam system allows for multiple sample types to be processed and for
electron tomography (ET) data to be obtained in situ, or through downstream cryo-ET of FIB-milled lamella. This
equipment will have direct applications in disease biology research, benefiting projects investigating infectious
diseases (Melikian, Sarafianos, Liang, Neufeldt, and D’Souza), neurodegenerative disorders (Smith, Kukar, and
D’Souza), heart conditions (Kwong), liver diseases (Yang), cancer (Yang, Liu, and Moniri), and the development
of therapeutics and diagnosis systems (Sarafianos, Yang, Banga, and Chougule). The instrument will be housed
and administered by the Robert P. Apkarian Integrated Electron Microscopy Core (IEMC), with an established
infrastructure for equipment administration, maintenance, and management, and an exceptional staff to support
research and train investigators in sample preparation, data acquisition, and processing. In summary, acquisition
of a cryo-FIB-SEM will offer imaging capabilities currently unavailable for biomedical research at Emory and
other regional institutions. It will have an immediate and profound impact on their projects by allowing image
acquisition on site, direct feedback from researchers, training of junior and senior investigators in FIB-SEM
applications, rapid turnaround to produce results for publications and grants, and a reduction in research costs
by removing the need for outsourcing.