# "Acquisition of a Multi-functional Cryo Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)"

> **NIH NIH S10** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2021 · $854,915

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Acquisition of a multi-functional cryo scanning electron microscope:
The Electron Microscopy Core Imaging Facility (EMCIF) of the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB)
requests funds to acquire an integrated cryo scanning electron microscope (SEM), the Apreo S LoVac from
Thermo Fisher Scientific (formerly FEI Company). This multifunctional instrument is bundled with automated
navigation and imaging analysis software and is capable of imaging delicate biological specimens at room
temperature and in a frozen hydrated state. Companion programs are designed to correlate light microscopy
signal with ultrastructural detail obtained by electron microscopy (EM), and to scan serial sections, thereby
allowing imaging of a tissue specimen in 3-D. Eleven NIH funded investigators representing eight research
groups studying a wide range of important biomedical research topics will be Major Users. The research
domains of these Major users include cancer, obesity, diabetes, kidney diseases, infectious diseases, neural
degeneration, hearing loss, bone/tendon development, drug development, medical device design, and
diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that will all benefit from the capabilities of the new instrument. Five
additional Minor Users will benefit from the enhanced resolution at both room and cryo temperatures to
examine biofilms for vaccine research and hydrogels and microspheres for nanotechnology-based medical
devices and therapeutic strategies. The requested instrument will be placed within the current EMCIF, a well-
organized core facility that provides access to state-of-the-art EM instrumentation and training to over 150
researchers, trainees and staff each year. Strong institutional support provides ongoing support for Director
and staff salaries, instrument service/maintenance and other EMCIF operating costs, new information
storage/computing capacity, and a $100,000 contribution toward the purchase of the new instrument. Should
this grant be awarded, the ultimate impact of this unique and versatile cryo SEM system will extend beyond the
research projects listed in this proposal. Overall, this new capacity will complement existing imaging UMB
capabilities and expand the capacity for biomedical research at UMB and regional institutions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10175680
- **Project number:** 1S10OD030274-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** MARY ANN Y JABRA-RIZK
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $854,915
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-06-15 → 2024-06-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10175680

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10175680, "Acquisition of a Multi-functional Cryo Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)" (1S10OD030274-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10175680. Licensed CC0.

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