If you’re like most people, you have probably wished your eyes could “zoom in”, like a camera, so you could look at things in more detail. If you somehow gained this superhuman ability, you could eventually discover a world of atoms, molecules, and cells, objects too small for a normal human eye to see. Unfortunately, no one has superpowered eyes, so these tiny yet crucial characters in the story of the universe would remain hidden if it weren’t for microscopy, the science of “zooming in” to explore this previously invisible world.
Within the field of microscopy, one important technique is electron microscopy, which uses electrons instead of light to look at objects. The electron microscope fires beams of electrons into an object. As the electrons pass through the object, they interact with atoms and molecules, slightly changing their trajectories. By measuring these changes in trajectories, we can generate a detailed picture of the object on atomic scales.
Recently, BYU upgraded its electron microscopy research facilities. The new microscopy lab is housed in the annex of the Eyring Science Center and hosts a brand-new electron microscope. This incredible machine is so precise and so sensitive that it must sit on its own foundation, supported by vibration isolation systems, which bright silver flooring in the photograph. With this new microscope, researchers can now use cryogenic electron microscopy, observing biomolecules like proteins and viruses after flash-freezing them with liquid nitrogen.
Since opening about a year ago, the facility has already supported advanced research across multiple disciplines. For example, faculty have used the new microscope to study protein and cellular structures, including tomographic imaging of human cell components. Also, in collaboration with the University of Utah, BYU researchers have expanded research into RNA structure. With BYU’s focus on experiential learning, even undergraduates have worked with this advanced equipment, which would not happen at many other universities.
The future of the new facility includes completing the data analysis lab and preparing for the installation of another next-generation electron microscope, this one capable of providing higher resolution and even elemental analysis. These developments will continue to expand the facility’s research impact and keep BYU at the forefront of the field of microscopy.
exterior of the new electron microscope
Interior of the Microscope
Authors: Alex Michas, Joshua Miller, Ben Allen, Carson Tenney, and Matthew Rundquist
