The Talos Arctica is 240,000-times magnification instrument is Sydney’s first, fitted with next generation highly sensitive cameras which gives 3D images of frozen macromolecular structures, cellular components, cells and tissues with never-before-seen clarity.
Providing unprecedented insights into cardiovascular disease, HIV and Alzheimer’s, this microscope gives researchers an atomic-level understanding of how cells divide and produce new cells, which is critical to the future development of antibiotics to fight superbugs.
The multi-million-dollar unit, funded by the NSW Government, is installed in the Electron Microscope Unit at The University of New South Wales.
Weighing close to a tonne, the microscope is on a separate concrete slab to isolate it from vibrations, and is also shielded from electromagnetic interference.
Dr Alastair Stewart
Manager
Cryo-electron Microscopy Facility
a.stewart@victorchang.edu.au