# Shared Tundra screening cryo-EM for New England

> **NIH NIH S10** · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · 2022 · $1,457,440

## Abstract

This proposal requests support for the acquisition of a state-of-the-art 100 kV screening cryo-EM
instrument. This instrument will be housed in a geographically central location at the University of
Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) in Farmington, CT, thereby ensuring facile access for all
participating research groups. The cryo-EM will be integrated into the established UCHC EM
facility, which has a proven tradition of research excellence for over 30 years. The UCHC EM
facility is operated by a full-time manager and an assistant director, supported by UCHC. As
typical for shared instrumentation, this instrument will be available not only to the core research
groups, but also to others throughout New England that will benefit from it. This proposal
combines researchers from 3 universities, with a total of 18 research groups forming the core user
group. Research areas include virology, signal-transduction, immunobiology, DNA repair among
many others, with key implications for a broad variety of diseases. The proposed research
projects are well supported with exciting preliminary data. Many of the 18 core research groups
have gained extensive cryo-EM experience over the last years and have a strong external funding
portfolio. While access to high powered cryo-EM instruments is available, the access to
affordable, easy-to-use screening cryo-EM’s that allow for the careful optimization of samples for
structure determination are either non-existent or expensive and thus out of reach for many
research groups. The requested Tundra 100 kV cryo-EM will solve this limitation, and enable
rapid, cost-effective and easy access for the investigation of large, highly complex biological
systems. Furthermore, it will enhance the training capabilities of students and post-doctoral
research scientists for cryo-EM. In summary, the so-called ‘resolution-revolution’ has highlighted
the capabilities of novel cryo-EM instruments for the structure determination of critical biological
samples to answer fundamental biological questions. However, as for all structural biology
techniques, sample optimization is the key essential step for gaining these new insights. The
requested instrument will fill this gap for a significant number of researchers throughout New
England. Further, significant institutional investments will guarantee the long-term success and
will allow key biological functions to be determined. We are confident that this cryo-EM instrument
will not only provide a necessary nucleus for the research of the core participating laboratories
specifically but will also provide a long-lasting impact for New England, as well as the US research
community, generally.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10413473
- **Project number:** 1S10OD032156-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT
- **Principal Investigator:** Wolfgang Peti
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,457,440
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-16 → 2024-09-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10413473

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10413473, Shared Tundra screening cryo-EM for New England (1S10OD032156-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10413473. Licensed CC0.

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