Krios Electron Microscope Enables High-Resolution Structure Determination

September 7, 2017

With Yale University’s recent acquisition of a Titan Krios cryo-electron microscope, the MB&B department continues to pioneer at the forefront of structure determination.  Members of the department are already busy collecting data and pushing the technology even further, using a phase plate that makes this microscope capable of obtaining high-resolution datasets. The acquisition is particularly exciting because the microscope and phase plate (together with new data-processing techniques) allow researchers to determine atomic structures of smaller and smaller macromolecules, which are historically challenging to solve with cryo-electron microscopy.  Shenping Wu, the director of the facility and member of MB&B, was able to solve the Thermoplasma acidophilum 20S proteasome, a classic test particle, to near-atomic resolution.  More information about the Krios can be found here.