The IND boasts a state-of-the-art lab space designed to support cutting-edge cryogenic–electron microscopy (cryo-EM). At the heart of the facility is the Generation 2 Titan Krios transmission electron microscopy (TEM) system, equipped with a Gatan Bioquantum energy filter. This system is complemented by the Glacios TEM and L120C TEM microscopes and will soon include a new G4 Titan Krios equipped with a Selectris Imaging Filter system and a Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector.
The latest technology for sample preparation is also available, including the Thermo Fisher Scientific Vitrobot system for plunge freezing and advanced robotics such as the SPT labtech Chameleon system with fully automated sample application and rapid plunge freezing. Preparation of thin lamellar sections of cells and tissues is possible with the Helios Hydra dual beam focused ion beam (FIB)/SEM instrument allowing visualization of high-resolution 3D structures of macromolecules in situ within neurons and brain tissue. Computationally, the IND houses 9 workstations equipped with a total of 68 graphics cards and more than 450 cores. With these resources, the IND has solved the structures of key proteins and other molecules involved in neurodegenerative diseases, providing unprecedented insight into their mechanisms and potential targets for drug design.
