Innovation
Centre

Cryo-electron Microscopy Facility

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Innovation Centre’s Cryo-electron Microscopy Facility houses one of the world’s most powerful microscopes for imaging frozen, atomic-sized molecules in 3D, leading the way in biological electron microscopy.

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.

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