Transformative High-Resolution Cryoelectron Microscopy Program (CryoEM)
Transformative High-Resolution Cryoelectron Microscopy Program (CryoEM)
CryoEM Program Transition to NIGMS
The National Centers for Cryoelectron Microscopy program was supported by the Common Fund from 2018 to 2024. Currently the Centers for Cryoelectron Microscopy developed by the Common Fund program are sustained by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), beginning in June 2024. Additional information and updates can be found at the NIGMS website.
The National Centers for Cryoelectron Microscopy as part of the Transformative High-Resolution Cryoelectron Microscopy program (CryoEM) has transitioned from Common Fund support. Common Fund programs are strategic investments that achieve a set of high-impact goals within a 5-10 year timeframe. At the conclusion of each program, deliverables will transition to other sources of support or use within the scientific community.
Please note that since the National Centers for Cryoelectron Microscopy program is no longer supported by the Common Fund, this page is being maintained as an archive and will not be updated on a regular basis.
National Centers for Cryoelectron Microscopy
The CryoEM program broadened access to high-resolution cryoelectron microscopy (cryoEM) and tomography (cryoET) for biomedical researchers by creating national service centers, and cultivating a skilled workforce through the development and implementation of cryoEM training material. CryoEM and cryoET enable high-resolution, three-dimensional data collection on samples that could not be used with other techniques in the past, such as samples containing mixtures of different biological structures or intact cells. During Common Fund support, three National CryoEM Service Centers offered usage of state-of-the-art equipment, technical support, and cross-training for the production and analysis of high-resolution data. These offerings were available at no charge for non-profit use, eliminating the high-cost barrier usually associated with cryoEM.
When the CryoEM program issued its first awards in May of 2018, there was no centralized network of high-resolution cryoEM resources. The Common Fund supported the development of three CryoEM centers where users can access cryogenic electron microscopes at no cost to the users awarded with access. At the conclusion of Common Fund support, the individual centers are at full operational status, and serviced users across the United States to further biomedical research.
Highlights of the CryoEM program include:
- Establishment of three cryoEM centers: Pacific Northwest CryoEM Center (PNCC) at Oregon Health Sciences University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Stanford-SLAC CryoEM Center (S2C2) at Stanford University, and National Center for CryoEM Access and Training (NCCAT) at New York Structural Biology Center.
- A total of 18 cryogenic microscopes across the three centers with various specialized uses and sample preparation resources.
- Approximately 180,000 hours of cryoEM services provided and 49,000 hours of user training during the program.
- Hundreds of novel structures of proteins, including some that advanced our understanding of SARS-CoV-19 infections, mechanisms of general anesthetics and benzodiazepines, and possible avenues for anti-cancer interventions.
