# Electron Energy Filtering System for Cryo-EM Imaging

> **NIH NIH S10** · ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS · 2024 · $1,999,997

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is indispensable for structural biology studies. Arizona State University
(ASU) has a long history of leadership in the electron microscopy field. ASU has been expanding and promoting
cryo-EM research for biomedicine and fundamental biology since establishing its cryo-EM facility in 2017. ASU
has a large pool of researchers utilizing cryo-EM to study biomolecular structures and their action mechanisms
and to develop new medical applications, such as rational drug design and nanomedicine. However, the
hardware for cryo-EM imaging has dramatically advanced in recent years, and the ASU cryo-EM instrument has
been outdated, presenting challenges in imaging thick specimens for electron tomography or achieving high-
quality data of membrane or small proteins. This limits the productivity of scientific studies and prohibits the
advancement of knowledge in this field at ASU.
 To this end, ASU requests an energy filter to upgrade the cryo-EM capability, aiming to improve cryo-EM data
quality and research productivity in structural biology. An energy filter can filter the inelastically scattered
electrons and reduce the background noise, thereby boosting the data quality and improving the resolution of
the target structure. This energy filter is equipped with a new-generation direct electron detect (DED) camera,
which enhances the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and records the data at full temporal resolution. The
proposed energy filter system is fully compatible with the current cryo-EM setup at ASU and will be operated by
the natively supported software. The new cryo-EM workflow with the proposed instrument is expected to improve
the resolutions of crystallographic reconstruction of micro-crystals and image reconstruction of single particles.
It will also allow imaging of thick samples for cell biology studies, enabling in situ structural investigation of protein
complexes.
 ASU has a complete and existing management system for multiple electron microscope instruments. The
cryo-EM instruments are managed and maintained by the ASU Eyring Materials Center (EMC), which has
extensive long-term experience and a thorough framework in managing electron microscopes and related
instruments. ASU also contains a pool of electron microscopy experts who can provide expertise and
suggestions in research and administration of these instruments. Overall, the addition of the proposed cryo-EM
upgrade will significantly benefit NIH-funded biomedical research at ASU and the broader community in the
Southwestern region.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10847070
- **Project number:** 1S10OD036204-01
- **Recipient organization:** ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Po-Lin Chiu
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,999,997
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10847070

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10847070, Electron Energy Filtering System for Cryo-EM Imaging (1S10OD036204-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10847070. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*