End of last week, we completed our second on-site training workshop organised by our Cryo-Electron Tomography Specialist Anna Steyer, which took place from 17 to 21 October. 

The five-day-long workshop introduced eight Bachelor students from the University of Heidelberg to basics of volume electron microscopy techniques. 

Electron microscopy encloses a powerful set of methods that enable high-resolution imaging on different resolution levels. Visualising proteins down to atomic level using single particle analysis or looking at the organelle context inside a multicellular organism using volume scanning electron microscopy. Recent developments in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as scanning electron microscopes (SEM) have led to ground-breaking opportunities in imaging of proteins, cells and tissues on ultrastructural level, allowing new insights into complex systems.

The workshop participants acquired the theoretical background to understand the different techniques as well as gained practical hands-on experience on how to prepare a sample, acquire data, analyse and visualise the data.

“It is great to see the spark of interest, in this case for high-resolution electron microscopy methods, initiated in the next generation of young scientist.”

Anna Steyer, Cryo-Electron Tomography Specialist