# Acquisition of a Leica high pressure freezer for the cryo-based electron microscopy techniques

> **NIH NIH S10** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $488,638

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Funds are requested to purchase a Leica EM ICE high-pressure freezer to prepare electron microscopy samples
for projects focused around mental health research within the Vanderbilt Brain Institute (VBI), a multi-disciplinary
research institute comprised of faculty at Vanderbilt University (VU) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center
(VUMC). The requested instrument will be integrated into and managed by the Vanderbilt Cell Imaging Shared
Resource (CISR), a microscopy core with a 20+ year history of successful microscopy management, training,
and acquisition of new technology. This instrument capable of fast-freezing live or fixed samples in vitreous ice
for downstream applications including freeze-substitution TEM, cryo-FIBSEM, and cryo-ET. This equipment is
essential to progress the research of the 7 Major Users within Vanderbilt and the VBI with projects surrounding
neuronal cell biology, synapse assembly and plasticity, synaptic signaling, glutamate receptors, and
communication between cell populations. These molecular and cellular investigations will advance already
funded NIMH and NIH projects totaling over $4M in FY23 in the areas of psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer’s, ALS,
learning and memory, Rett syndrome (RTT), childhood neurodegenerative diseases and more.
The proposed high-pressure freezing system is based on the needs of the VBI and Major Users to capture
neuronal processes with the highest resolution and fidelity possible to understand fundamental advance these
NIMH and NIH funded projects. The Leica EM ICE high-pressure freezer includes: 1) The base unit high-
pressure freezing that uses pressurized liquid nitrogen to both generate pressure and cool samples
simultaneously; 2) Electric and light stimulation modules to capture synaptic events at the point of freezing 3) A
cell and tissue incubator system to load live samples into the EM ICE; 4) Sapphire based freezing modules to
allow correlative light and electron microscopy either before or after freezing, and conventional flat carriers for
freeze-substitution and freeze-fracture/etch applications. This system would be housed in renovated electron
microscopy suite in Medical Center North which is directly adjacent to the VBI and the majority of the User labs.
Vanderbilt University is providing financial support to promote the long-term operation of the instrument. If
awarded, the Office of the Dean of Basic Sciences is committed to providing $75,896 for CISR service contracts,
staff salary, computer purchases and upgrades, and reduction in user fees over the first 5 years. Technical
support and training of new users will be facilitated by the exceptional staff within the CISR, which has a greater
than 20-year history of assisting over 300 labs on campus in both sample preparation and imaging. Moreover,
this equipment will be housed in newly renovated electron microscopy space that is centrally located near the
Major User group. Collectively, the proposed...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10947308
- **Project number:** 1S10MH137068-01
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Evan Krystofiak
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $488,638
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-15 → 2025-08-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10947308

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10947308, Acquisition of a Leica high pressure freezer for the cryo-based electron microscopy techniques (1S10MH137068-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10947308. Licensed CC0.

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