In its latest decision on research infrastructures, the Swedish Research Council assigned an operation grant with SEK 4.7 Mio for 2014-2018 to the national FESEM resource for training and research in using high resolution Field Emission Scanning-EM and Cryo-technology.

The newly established national FESEM resource at the Chemical Biological Centre in collaboration with MIMS and UCMR is providing a high resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope with a cryo-SEM system for life science and materials research. In particular, scientists within the Swedish National Network for Infection Biology from all major universities; Umeå University, Uppsala University, Stockholm University, Karolinska Institute, Linköping University, Göteborg University, Lund University, are aiming to strengthen the infection biology research in the country by this joint infrastructure.

The Field Emission Scanning-EM instrument equipped with a cryo-SEM system is integrated in the Electron Microscopy platform UCEM – Umeå Core facility for Electron Microscopy and the adjacent high resolution light microscopy infrastructure at the newly established open access Biochemical Imaging Centre at KBC, Umeå University.

It has added completely new possibilities for ultra-high resolution analysis of the three dimensional overview of surface properties and in combination with immuno-gold labeling the precise localization of surface proteins. Correlated light and electron microscopic imaging will be possible by combining structural information obtained at the EM level with functional and dynamic information obtained from 4D imaging of live cells at the light microscopy level. The National FESEM Resource will provide an infrastructure open to all researchers within the infection biology field and will facilitate research collaborations and advanced training within the high resolution Scanning-EM field. The accessibility to analyze pathogens and host cells with such equipment is limited in Sweden and the need for high resolution electron microscopic imaging is urgent in the infection biology field. The high resolution Field Emission Scanning-EM instrument will also be used in research projects with focus in additional research fields of biomedicine/cell biology, as well as plant biotechnology/wood science, chemistry and physics at Umeå university and at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

More about the FESEM Platform here