Official inauguration of the Glacios cryo-electron microscope, a new state-of-the-art instrument in the South Region – Postponed.

The AFMB laboratory has acquired a cutting-edge 200 kV cryo-electron microscope (Glacios 2) as part of the CPER 2021-2027 project titled “Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Marseille” (CE2M). This project is funded by research organisations (CNRS, INSERM, INRAE), Aix-Marseille University, local authorities (Region Sud, CD13, Metropolis and City of Marseille), and the French State.

This project, with a budget of approximately €3 million, has greatly benefited from the pivotal role of the national infrastructure for integrative structural biology (FRISBI) in drafting a national roadmap, which argued for the strategic implementation of this revolutionary technology in the region.

This advanced instrument, unique in the South Region, was highly anticipated by the regional scientific community. It will enable the imaging of biological mechanisms through automated analysis of isolated particles at high resolution (ångström) or biological samples by cryo-tomography (nanometer), while leveraging the rise of artificial intelligence for the prediction of 3D protein structures.

It enhances the technological capabilities of the electron microscopy service at the Integrative Structural Biology Platform of Marseille (PBSIM), certified by Aix-Marseille, IBiSA, and FRISBI, and integrates into a national network of similar instruments recently commissioned in other national and regional centers.

Operational and accessible to users since early May 2024, and pending its inauguration on June 28, this instrument will also support educational activities, practical workshops, and thematic conferences.

Lastly, it will be an essential tool to attract scientists or research teams wishing to develop a theme in life sciences or public health integrating this technology, and to enhance the prominence of the Luminy site.

PBSIM website: PBSIM

Contacts: Yves Bourne, CE2M Scientific Leader, and Denis Ptchelkine, Head of Electron Microscopy Service at PBSIM