Electron Microscopy

Facility Description

The Electron Microscopy facility at the Institute of Anatomy offers a comprehensive environment for advanced imaging, structural biology and ultrastructural analysis. As the DCI – Dubochet Center for Imaging Bern and part of the Microscopy Imaging Center (MIC), we provide access to a broad range of cutting-edge electron microscopy technologies, enabling researchers to visualise biological samples from whole cells down to individual macromolecules.

Available Techniques

  • Conventional Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
    High contrast 2D imaging of the internal structure of cells, tissues and biological specimens.
  • High-end Cryo-TEM
    Structure determination of biomolecules at high resolution, one of the key techniques in modern structural biology. Enables single-particle analysis of macromolecular complexes and in-situ structural insight across cellular compartments, organelles and macromolecular machines through cryo-electron tomography of vitrified specimens.
  • Cryo-Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (Cryo-FIB SEM)
    Precise in-situ sample preparation by milling vitrified cells and small tissue samples into electron-transparent lamellae for cryo-electron tomography.
  • Serial Block-face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM)
    Large-volume 3D ultrastructural imaging and reconstruction of cells and tissues at nanometre resolution.
  • Dedicated Equipment for Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Vitrified Sections (CEMOVIS)
    Used for preparing and imaging ultrathin vitrified sections without chemical fixation, preserving native cellular architecture.

Support & Sample Preparation

The facility guides users through the entire workflow, from sample preparation and image acquisition to data processing and analysis. Our experienced team offers hands-on training and support, so users can run experiments independently or with full assistance.

Available Microscopes

Our microscopes are managed through the openIRIS platform. Browse the available instruments in the MIC resource catalogue.

Contact

For further information or specific inquiries, please reach out to Benoît Zuber (Head of Electron Microscopy) or David Kalbermatter (Operational Manager).