Training Modules Offered
Training on all instrumentation is meant to produce a functional safe operator of our highly specialized equipment. The initial training will not be sufficient to produce high caliber data on its own. With users dedicating time, ongoing practice, participating in the cryo-EM community, and with continuing supervision of the facility staff, high end results are achievable over time.
If a user is not comfortable operating equipment after completing a training module, additional training is always available from EM facility staff at the current labor rate of $100/hr and the per hour rate of the particular equipment reserved if applicable.
Rates quoted are for internal UC San Diego users only. External users please contact the facility manager for more information.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, some one-on-one training has been suspended on some equipments. Some exceptions can be made for social distancing guidelines, for more details visit the facility COVID-19 infomation page.
1. Negative Staining and Wet lab
Description: Training on general negative stain electron microscopy sample preparation. Including theory, handling of grids, reagent prep, glow discharge machine.
Prerequisites: New User Orientation
Duration: 2 hours session with EM facility staff
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person
Supplies needed (available for purchase from the EM facility store): Grid box, continuous carbon 300 mesh grids, tweezers
Cost: $205.00
Cost: $205.00
2. Safematic Carbon Coater
Description: Training on using the Safematic carbon coater, practical application, recipe creation
Prerequisites: New User Orientation, Negative Stain and Wet lab
Duration: 1 hour session from EM facility staff
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person
Supplies needed: Formvar coated grids, mica
Cost: $105.00
Cost: $105.00
3. Vitrobot
Description: Training on using the Vitrobot plunge freezing machine, cryo sample preparation theory, setup, practical application, use of Solarus plasma cleaner
Prerequisites: New User Orientation
Duration: 2 separate 2 - hour sessions with EM facility staff member
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person
Supplies needed (available for purchase from the EM facility store): Autogrid box with lid, vitrobot filter paper, quantifoil grids, storage for cryo grids. Users must supply their own tweezers. Recommended tweezer options: Tweezers Assembly for Vitrobot Mark IV, III, II & I (pdt #: 47000-500) or NanoSoft Cryo Tweezers.
Cost: $400.00
Cost: $400.00
4. Manual Plunge freezer
Description: Training on using the manual plunge freezer.
Prerequisites: New User Orientation, Vitrobot
Duration: 2 hour session with EM facility staff
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person
Supplies needed (available for purchase from the EM facility store): Autogrid box with lid, filter paper (whatman #1), quantifoil grids, plunge freezer tweezer, storage for cryo grids.
Cost: $200.00
Cost: $200.00
5. Autogrid Clipping
Description: Training on preparing cryoEM grids for loading into an Autoloader (Krios or Arctica samples)
Prerequisites: New User Orientation, Vitrobot
Duration: 2 hour session, 1 hour demonstration from EM facility staff and 1 hour practice
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person
Supplies needed (available for purchase from the EM facility store): Autogrid box with lid, cryoEM grids, autogrid rings and c-clips, storage for cryo grids
Cost: $200.00
Cost: $200.00
6. Sphera Electron Microscope - Training Temporarily Suspended
Description: Training and hands-on practical safe use of Sphera for screening negative stain grids. Theory, microscope hardware, loading samples, aligning the scope, imaging strategies, focusing, aberrations, troubleshooting. Standard known sample provided.
Prerequisites: New User Orientation, Negative Stain and Wet lab Training
Duration: 2 separate 4 hour sessions with EM facility staff
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person
Supplies needed: none
7. Arctica Electron Microscope - Training Temporarily Suspended
Description: Training and hands-on practical use of Arctica for screening cryo grids and setting up data collection. Theory, microscope hardware, aligning the scope, imaging strategies, focusing, aberrations, troubleshooting.
Duration: 2 - 4 separate training sessions with EM facility staff
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person
Supplies needed: Vitrified autogrids
8. Krios Electron Microscope
Description: Training and hands-on practical safe use of Krios for screening cryo grids and setting up data collection. Hybrid of in person hands on training along with recordable zoom sessions.
Duration: 2 - 4 separate training sessions with EM facility staff
Occupancy: Maximum 1 person with multiple observers allowed from the same lab via zoom.
Supplies needed: Vitrified autogrids
Cost: $1488.00 (estimated)
Cost: $1488.00 (estimated)
