Netherlands – Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) – Direct Electron Detector

The University of Groningen (UG) intends to purchase a new direct electron detector to upgrade the existing Thermo Fisher Scientific Talos Arctica 200 kV transmission cryogenic electron microscope for high-resolution data acquisition of individual proteins and their complexes. The new detector must be fully compatible with the existing microscope and will replace the combination of the current camera and the outdated energy filter. In addition, it should provide the option to be re-mounted after an energy filter to allow for a future upgrade. The detector must enable high-speed data collection while preserving full temporal and spatial resolution. This purchase is carried out in the framework of the ERC Starting Grant “Actin in Action”. The research group Membrane Enzymology will use the upgraded microscope to study the molecular basis of actin-based motility of human pathogens. These samples are biochemically challenging, heterogeneous, and often available only in limited quantities. To obtain high-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy data, the detector must combine maximal acquisition speed, reproducibility, and image quality. The upgrade will ensure that the Talos Arctica microscope is capable of delivering cutting-edge data necessary to answer the scientific questions defined in the grant and to serve the broader user community within the Faculty of Science and Engineering and UMCG.