Cryo-EM access, booking and costing

Access

We are a fully open-access facility with users from many Cambridge University Departments, external academic institutions and industry. 

Access is initiated through contact with the Facility Manager (Dr Dima Chirgadze, dyc21 at cam.ac.uk), and usually followed by a meeting with facility staff to discuss the experimental approach, sample requirements, and whether training or supervision is needed. Facility staff can offer advice and troubleshooting as required.

Booking

Once access is approved, University of Cambridge members (i.e. internal users) may book using our online booking system (Raven credentials required). Please ensure you confirm staff availability if you require support (we reserve the right to charge for pre-booked time that is unused or cancelled at short notice).

External academic/industrial users and all service-mode users must only book through the Facility Manager.

Costs

Please note, there are access charges related to instrument use. For the University of Cambridge members are as follows (from August 1, 2024):

  • Vitrobot, 2-hour session - £58
  • Talos Arctica, 1-day session (9am to 8am next day) - £886
  • Titan Krios, 1-day session (9am to 8am next day) - £1,160

The rates are reviewed regularly. The one-day sessions on electron microscopes cannot be subdivided into individual hours or half-days. For information regarding the rates for external academic groups and industrial users, please contact the Facility Manager.

Waiting times

Waiting times for getting time on our electron microscopes are typically about 1-2 weeks. However, at busy times, it can be more than a month. If you require beamtime urgently, contact the Facility Manager, and we'll do our absolute best to accommodate you. 

Consumables

The access charges listed above do not include consumable items, i.e. grids, C-clips and autogrid cartridges, storage boxes, etc. We do, however, stock some of them. Please ask for details.

When you visit

The Cryo-EM Facility is located on level 00 of the Sanger Building. Access is via the reception desk:

  • Tel: +44 1223 766001 (facility extension: 66059)
  • Email: reception "at" bioc.cam.ac.uk
  • Opening times: 08:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00
  • Precise location: https://w3w.co/swung.senior.abode

Directions for parking in a pre-booked space: