# Acquisition of Equipment for Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies Using Cryo-EM

> **NIH NIH R35** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $122,412

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The experimental research under the parent R35 grant focuses on time-resolved (TR) cryo-electron microscopy
(cryo-EM) to study short-lived states during translation in eukaryotes. TR cryo-EM is a promising new way to
obtain information about the dynamics of biological processes that can be carried out in vitro. Our successful
applications of this technology to translation in bacteria have been published in Structure, Nature and Nature
Communications.
This research requires large-scale high-quality purifications of ribosomes and protein factors -- twenty to fifty
times more sample quantity than in normal blotting cryo-EM experiments.
Our present AKTA purification system is aging and shows numerous problems, which are detailed in the
Equipment section of this proposal. We do not have access to core equipment or other groups’ equipment that
is both in reach (i.e., on the same campus) and RNAse-free, a stringent requirement for any preparations
involving ribosomes. Moreover, the manufacturer has recently decided to discontinue support of this model
within less than a year.
Thus, to ensure uninterrupted pursuit of our research we request an equipment supplement allowing us to
purchase an AKTA pure 25 M (Cytiva Product Number: 29018226) purification system ($122,412.70).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10635738
- **Project number:** 3R35GM139453-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** JOACHIM FRANK
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $122,412
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-02-01 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10635738

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10635738, Acquisition of Equipment for Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies Using Cryo-EM (3R35GM139453-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10635738. Licensed CC0.

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