ICOB Biological Electron Microscopy Core Facility

Introduction

The Biological Electron Microscopy (EM) Core Facility is a research support facility administered and supported by ICOB and the AS Core Facility and Innovative Instrument Project. Our mission is to provide researchers with technical consultation and operational training on EM sample preparation. We are open to all faculty, staff and students on the entire Academia Sinica campus, and also to off-campus investigators and users. The facility is equipped with one transmission electron microscope in addition to all of the required ancillary equipment to carry out sample processing for imaging from the tissue to the molecular level.

Sample preparations we support (cells, tissues, and synthetic soft materials) include: negative stain, heavy metal shadowing, conventional resin embedding/sectioning, high pressure freeze, and freeze-substitution embedding/sectioning.


Transmission Electron Microscope (FEI Tecnai G2 F20 S-TWIN)

quipment Manager:Po-Yen Lin

Tel-9526

Items	Equipment	Brand/Model	Applications	Status
1	Transmission Electron Microscope	FEI Tecnai G2 F20 S-TWIN	The Tecnai G2 F20 S-TWIN is a 200 kV/FEG Transmission Electron Microscope with a Gatan UltraScan 1000 (2k x2k) CCD camera. It is used to collect high-resolution images and tilt image series for electron tomography. The instrument is also equipped with a STEM device coupled to an EDX spectrometer for elemental analysis.	OK
2	Freezing Substitution	Leica EM AFS	After high pressure freezing, samples are moved to the Leica EM AFS2 to perform freeze substitution, allowing low-temperature embedding and polymerization of resins.	OK
3	Ultramicrotome	Leica EM UC7	This instrument can be used to generate ultra-thin sections of resin sample blocks.	OK
4	Glow discharge	EMITECH K100X	The K100X is a simple, free-standing glow discharge system, typically used for hydrophobic to hydrophilic conversion of carbon-coated TEM grids	OK
5		Denton Vacuum	This sputter coater provides thin film deposition of Pt/Pd, W or carbon on a variety of substrates	OK

Latest Published

Self-Assembled Hydrogel from Pyrene-Modified Peptide as 3D Matrices for Neuronal Cell. Wahyuningtyas, D.; Yu, Yoyo. C.-T.; Hsieh, C.-Y.; Huang, Y.-A.; He, R.-Y.; Teng, T.-H.; Chen, B. P.-W.; Huang, J.-R.; Wu, David; and Huang, J. J.-T.* ACS Applied Bio Materials. (2025)

Gut microbes with the gbu genes determine TMAO production from L-carnitine intake and serve as a biomarker for precision nutrition. Wu WK, Lo YL, Chiu JY, Hsu CL, Lo IH, Panyod S, Liao YC, Chiu THT, Yang YT, Kuo HC, Zou HB, Chen YH, Chuang HL, Yen JJY, Wang JT, Chiu HM, Hsu CC, Kuo CH, Sheen LY, Kao HL, Wu MS. Gut Microbes. (2025)

Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles as “Three-in-One” Enzyme-Mimicking Nanocatalysts for Combined Sonodynamic/Catalytic Therapy in Breast Cancer. Adilet Beishenaliev, Yean Leng Loke, Chung-Yin Lin, Sook Jing Goh, Jaya Seema, Yuhan Huang, Xin Yun Lim, Yu-Wen Chen, Bey Fen Leo, Chia-Yu Chang, Lip Yong Chung, Chia-Ching Chang, Yin Yin Teo*, Dennis W. Hwang*, Lik Voon Kiew*. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. (2025)

Optimized TPL6 Peptide Gel Exhibits Broad‐Spectrum Antimicrobial Activity and Effectively Treats Drug‐Resistant Wound Infections in Diabetic Mice. Lin Wen‐Chun, You Ming‐Feng, Chen Yun‐Ru, Chen Jyh‐Yih*. Advanced Healthcare Materials. (2025)

Novel self-assembled antimicrobial peptide Pardaxin hydrogel as a functional biomaterial for food packaging and preservation.
Selvaraj SP, Chang JC, Raja K, Zsu JT, Hazam PK, Lin WC, Huang JR*, Li TL*, Chen JY*. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL.(2025)

Policies

Manager:Po-Yen Lin Tel-9526

Training is required for each instrument before booking
EM users are categorized into two levels: Regular and Experienced.
For TEM and SEM, the maximum booking frequency is 2 days per week for each lab. However, users may book more than 2 days per week to fill empty time slots.
Please cancel reservations 48 hours in advance of the scheduled booking. Otherwise, charges will apply based on the time reserved.
All users must clearly sign the work log with user info.
Reservations for the TEM and SEM are made through the IIS reservation system. For off-hour usage, please contact the EM staff.

Service request

Manager:Po-Yen Lin Tel-9526

How to apply

EM sample preparation:

Discuss your experiment and sample conditions by phone or emailà fill out the application form à EM samples preparation à inform the user when EM samples are ready.

Application form - (download)

EM imaging:
If your EM samples are prepared by yourself, you may book the EM through the IIS reservation system. The EM staff will assist you in EM imaging.

Training:
We provide one-on-one training for EM sample preparation, including chemical fixation, resin embedding, ultrathin section and staining.

Pricelist - (download)

We appreciate if users acknowledge the Biological Electron Microscopy Core Facility when publishing data from our EM services is. An example acknowledgement follows:

Acknowledgment

We thank the Academia Sinica Biological Electron Microscopy Core Facility for EM technical support. The core facility is funded by the Academia Sinica Core Facility and Innovative Instrument Project (AS-CFII-114-A8).