Prof. Michael Elbaum

The lab develops novel approaches to cryo-electron tomography for 3D imaging within cells. By scanning transmission EM (STEM) we can explore much larger volumes than by conventional TEM. We apply the new methods to study nuclear division and hemozoin crystallization in Plasmodium, as well as model systems for protein condensation, organelle and cytoskeletal architecture, and chromatin structure in bacteria and cultured mammalian cells. On the biophysics side, STEM integrates seamlessly with diffraction and quantification of the electron scattering. This opens new possibilities for microanalysis of the molecular composition beyond simple imaging.