Bringing the Cryo-electron Microscopy Revolution to UW-Madison

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) is currently revolutionizing the biosciences by enabling the imaging of macromolecules, viruses, and cellular substructures at near-atomic to atomic resolutions. Advances in detectors, computation, and EM design now produce high-resolution images of rapidly frozen samples that disruptively surpass current methods (e.g., X-ray crystallography) because they require far less material, capture natural states, do not require crystallization, and enable time-resolved imaging.

Many UW-Madison researchers now seek to use cryoEM in diverse and innovative ways that will help keep the campus at the bioscience frontier. A cross-college cryoEM initiative seeks to enable this research with several interlinked efforts. This UW2020 project will fund the acquisition of key components for assembly and operation of a state-of-the-art cryoEM facility at UW-Madison, as well as the hiring of a PhD-level staff scientist/facilitator to aid researchers in cryoEM experiments and to guide use of new cryoEM equipment.

The new cryoEM scientist/facilitator will play an instrumental role in ensuring UW-Madison researchers can take full advantage of available equipment and in optimizing the use and maintenance of newly acquired cryo-electron microscopes and supporting equipment.

Principal Investigator

• Robert Landick
  Professor of Biochemistry and Bacteriology
  

Co-Principal Investigators

• Paul Ahlquist
  Professor of Oncology and Plant Pathology
• Samuel Butcher
  Professor of Biochemistry
• Marisa Otegui
  Professor of Botany and Genetics
  

Co-Investigators

• Anjon Audhya
  Associate Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry
• Bill Bement
  Professor of Zoology
• Baron Chanda
  Associate Professor of Neuroscience
• Ed Chapman
  Professor of Neuroscience
• Katrina Forest
  Professor of Bacteriology
• Katie Henzler-Wildman
  Associate Professor of Biochemistry
• Hazel Holden
  Professor of Biochemistry
• Aaron Hoskins
  Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
• James Keck
  Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry
• John Markley
  Professor of Biochemistry
• Tom Martin
  Professor of Biochemistry
• Julie Mitchell
  Professor of Biochemistry and Mathematics
• Kate O’Connor-Giles
  Associate Professor of Genetics
• Ann Palmenberg
  Professsor of Biochemistry
• Ivan Rayment
  Professor of Biochemistry
• Mike Sussman
  Professor of Biochemistry
• Yongna Xing
  Associate Professor of Oncology

Collaborator

• Jerry Hunter
  Director of the Materials Science Center