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Oxford Particle Imaging Centre specialises in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM)

Oxford Particle Imaging Centre

Flagship Service/Technology

Electron Microscopy, Oxford, UK

OPIC houses state-of-the-art equipment for cryo-EM single particles analysis, in-situ FIB-SEM and cryo-ET of biological specimens, from small macromolecular complexes to cells. Our facilities are available to all researchers from across the University of Oxford as well as external users from both academia and industry.

Our facility includes a series of plunging devices (Vitrobots, GP2 Leica plunger), grids micro-patterning (Primo, Alveole) for preparing and optimizing grids to image both purified macromolecular complexes or cells. A 200-kV Glacios (Thermo Fisher Scientific) cryo-TEM equipped with a Falcon III direct electron detector for sample screening, grid optimizations and initial data collection. A 300-kV Titan Krios G3i (Thermo Fisher Scientific) cryo-TEM equipped with Falcon 4 direct electron detector and a Selectris-X imaging filter for high resolution single particles and tomography data collection. A Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquilos 2, which is a dual beam system dedicated to the preparation of thin, electron-transparent cellular lamellas for high-resolution cryo-electron tomography or MicroED of micro-crystals. 

Equipment provided in OPIC are located within biosafety containment laboratories at ACDP category 3 and DEFRA 4 levels of containment which facilitates the study of live pathogenic viruses that are important to human and animal health.

 

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Oxford Particle Imaging Centre

The Oxford Particle Imaging Centre (OPIC) is part of the Division of Structural Biology within the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford. OPIC facilities are located in the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics on the Old Road Campus.

 

OPIC houses state-of-the art equipment for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). This includes a Titan Krios and a Glacios instrument, both fitted with direct electron detectors, with access to auxiliary equipment for sample preparation.

 

OPIC facilities enable imaging of macromolecular complexes (including membrane proteins, enzymes, and viruses), organelles, and cells in their native state. Through computational reconstruction of cryo-EM images it is possible to derive three-dimensional density maps of biological structures. Often these maps have sufficient resolution to allow building of atomic models leading to mechanistic understanding of cellular functions.

 

The local groups using OPIC facilities represent a wide range of research ranging from cell surface receptors and ion-channels to viral polymerases and entire viral particles. Central to OPIC are biosafety containment laboratories which facilitate the study of infectious viruses relevant to human and animal health.

 

OPIC welcomes research proposals from a broad science base - please enquire if you are interested in containment imaging.

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OPIC is currently available for remote access only due to COVID-19 restrictions. For information on the availability of specific technologies, view the Technology Availability List or contact support@instruct-eric.eu. Please check here regularly for updates.

 

How to find us

Oxford Particle Imaging Centre (OPIC) is part of the Division of Structural Biology within the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford. OPIC facilities are located in the Wellcome Centre Human Genetics on Old Road Campus.

 

For more information on travel to the institute click here.

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