The Microscopy Laboratory (MicroED & CryoEM)

The Microscopy Laboratory at MIC provides electron microscopy and electron crystallography services and training of users to access these techniques for the UCLA researcher community, other academic institutions, and commercial enterprises. Our transmission electron microscope (TEM) has a resolving power on the order of 1-2 nanometers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is managed by the Materials Division of MIC.

The MIC TEM is a Thermo Scientific Talos F200C G2 TEM with a 200kV electron gun. This instrument has MicroED and CryoEM capabilities and is equipped with a CetaD detector. Users may have access to ancillary equipment for sample preparation.

The Talos TEM is located in 1290 Young Hall (between the Young Hall loading dock and the EPSS building).

To learn more about using the Talos TEM, please contact Ignacio Martini (martini@chem.ucla.edu).

Preliminary TEM Training: General TEM operation training should first be acquired at the CNSI EICN facility. A minimum of 20 hours of TEM operation will be required on either the T12 or T20 instruments before “onboarding” for the Talos can begin. Other comparable experience may be considered. Please consult Ignacio Martini (martini@chem.ucla.edu)

Talos TEM Onboarding: We require all users to go through our onboarding process

Step 1: Please use this form to request Talos onboarding.

Step 2: Please read, sign and have your PI sign the user agreement here. Return the signed agreement via email before the onboarding session.

Step 3: You will be contacted by Talos staff who will discuss your TEM experience and current research needs.

Step 4: Reserve time via a Google calendar. Details given at the time of onboarding.

Rates: Sales and Service agreements are being developed. Please consult Ignacio Martini (martini@chem.ucla.edu) about external rates. Daily rates may be possible for external users.

TALOS F200C Transmission Electron Microscope

The Thermo Scientific Talos F200C Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) is a 200 kV thermionic (scanning) transmission electron microscope uniquely designed for performance and productivity across a wide range of samples and applications, such as 2D and 3D imaging of cells, organelles, asbestos, polymers, and soft materials, both at ambient and cryogenic temperatures.

The Microscopy Laboratory at MIC provides electron microscopy and electron crystallography services and training of users to access these techniques for the UCLA researcher community, other academic institutions, and commercial enterprises. Our TEM has a resolving power on the order of 1-2 nanometers. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is also managed by the Materials Division of MIC.

Description & Special Features

  • The TALOS F200C is a TEM that provides imaging quality for beam-sensitive materials with low-dose technique.
  • It has a large C-Twin pole piece gap, which provides high application flexibility, combined with a reproducibly performing electron column. This TEM microscope opens new opportunities for high-resolution 3D characterization, in situ dynamic observations, micro electron diffraction applications, high-contrast imaging and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
  • The Talos F200C TEM is equipped with the fast 4k × 4k Thermo Scientific Ceta 16M camera, which provides a large field-of-view and fast imaging

Auto-alignments: All daily TEM tunings, such as focus, eucentric height, center beam shift, center condenser aperture, and rotation center are automated.

Ceta CMOS Camera:The Thermo Scientific Ceta-D Camera is a scintillator-based camera optimized for low-dose diffraction data collection. It is ideal for working with dose-sensitive materials, such as proteins, pharmaceutical molecules, and organic materials.

The camera’s high sensitivity allows for reliable detection of high-resolution, low-intensity diffraction peaks, and its high signal-to-noise ratio enables accurate measurement of the integrated peak intensity.

Applications

  • Negative Stain of Biological Samples
  • Single Particle CryoEM
  • Cryo Electron Diffraction of nano-crystals
  • Fundamental Materials Research

Facilities and Equipment

The TALOS F200C facility occupies 2200 square feet in total and is located in Young Hall 1294. The room is dedicated to TEM sample preparation, Cryo-preservation and data collection on the Talos microscope.

The room incorporates the following equipment:

  • The Plasma Cleaner for cleaning TEM grids: PELCO easiGLOW Glow Discharge Cleaning System
  • The FEI Vitrobot Mark III (Vitrification Robot). This is a fully PC-controlled cryo-plunger for vitrification (rapid cooling) of aqueous samples used later in cryo-electron microscopy.
  • GATAN 626 Single tilt liquid nitrogen cryo-transfer holder
  • GATAN 655 Turbo Pumping Station
  • The facility is kept at 20 °C by an independent air conditioning system.
  • The compressors and the Haskris LX water recirculating coolers used to remove heat from microscope are kept in an adjacent room, to isolate the noise from the rest of the facility.

How to access the Talos F200C Microscope

The Talos F200C is a mid to high-level entry TEM with a complex and delicate system of software and hardware that requires users to be trained and fully qualified to independently operate the instrument.

Investigators in the Chemistry Department must contact Duilio Cascio to schedule the onboarding process.

Rates

Sales and Service agreements are being developed. Please consult Ignacio Martini (martini@chem.ucla.edu) about external rates. Daily rates may be possible for external users.

Contact

For technical and scheduling questions contact Duilio Cascio at the IGP: cascio@mbi.ucla.edu

For information about accounts and rates contact Ignacio Martini at the MIC: martini@chem.ucla.edu

Young Hall 1294
611 Young Drive East
Los Angeles, CA 90095