Research
Nowadays, the identification of virtually any cellular event is possible through fluorescence microscopy, but the resolution is limited to few tens of nanometer (assuming that superresolution techniques are applied). Cryo-electron microscopy, on the other hand, allows for near atomic resolution of protein structures. We are currently developing new approaches to combine superresolution light microscopy with electron microscopy.
High resolution cryo correlative microscopy
.
Microfluidics meets cryo-Electron Microscopy
Sample preparation in cryo-electron microscopy is one of the most critical and often limiting, step toward protein structure determination.
Here we apply nanofabrication to generate new methods to freeze and deliver samples into a cryo-electron microscope.
Plasma Focused Ion Beam Milling
and integrated cryo-Correlative microscopy
Over the past decade, the use of Focused Ion Beams has extended to multiple application in life sciences.
In collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific, we develop new instrumentation and methods to fit the needs of biological sample preparation.
One outcome of this collaboration is the "World-first Multigas Plasma focused ion beam microscope". This powerful instrument provides optimized milling performance on different materials.
We also developed the PIE-scope, an integrated Photon, Electron and Ion beam microscope, which turns the complicated task of targeted cryo-lamella preparation in a seamless process.
The control software and the drawings for the PIE-scope can be downloaded from the lab Github page
