WORKSHOPS & COURSES
The Winter-Spring 2025 EM Course
To attend sign up for this course: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SEMC_course_Registration
IF YOU ARE TAKING THE COURSE FOR CREDIT MAKE SURE TO REGISTER THROUGH YOUR INSTITUTION’S REGISTRAR.
About the course
Electron microscopy in combination with image analysis is increasingly powerful in producing 3D structures of individual molecules and large macromolecular complexes that are unapproachable by other methods. This course is focused on the concepts and theories behind electron microscopy. Each week guest lecturers and SEMC staff lead discussions on the practice of solving molecular structures by electron microscopy. Students will be responsible for watching relevant sections from Getting Started in Cryo-EM and cryoEM101 ahead of attending the lectures.
The course will be held at the New York Structural Biology Center at 89 Convent Ave (133rd St).
Course Schedule
Classes in NYSBC A-11 seminar room (Mondays 3:30-5pm and select Wednesdays 3:30-5pm)
EM fundamentals section
Jan 20: Martin Luther King Holiday (no class)
Jan 22: Lecture – Introduction & Basic anatomy of the electron microscope (Ed Eng – NYSBC/SEMC & SEMC staff)
Jan 27: Lecture – New cryoEM hardware and supporting a facility (Michael Alink – NYSBC/SEMC)
Jan 29: Practical – TEM use (SEMC staff [worksheet])
Feb 3: Lecture – Considerations for biological cryoEM (Ed Eng – NYSBC/SEMC & SEMC staff )
Feb 5: Practical – Sample Preparation & Support films (SEMC staff [worksheet])
EM crystallography section
Feb 10: Lecture – MicroED (Bill Rice – New York University)
Feb 12: Practical – Journal club (On sample vitrification)
Feb 17: President’s Day Holiday (no class)
Feb 19: Practical – Journal club (On the best keV for biological samples)
Feb 24: Lecture – Helical reconstruction (Hernando Sosa – Albert Einstein College of Medicine)
Feb 26: Practical – Journal club
Single-particle section
Mar 3 : Lecture – Intro to Single Particle (Joachim Frank – Columbia University)
Mar 5: Practical – Image formation and data collection considerations (SEMC staff)
Mar 10: Lecture – Data Processing (theory and algorithms) (Reza Khayat – CUNY)
Mar 12: Practical – Data processing (SEMC staff)
Mar 17: Lecture – Building Atomic Models (Oli Clarke – Columbia University)
Mar 19: Practical – Coot workshop – Fitting atomic models
Mar 24: Lecture – Validation methods
Mar 26: Practical – Journal club
Tomography section*
Mar 31 : Lecture – Intro to tomography
The tomography section will be a 1-week short course. See more information on the TOMO short course here. Students that attend the full course will be allowed to participate in the morning lectures, but would have to apply to be admitted to the afternoon practicals.
Apr 7: Lecture – FIB-SEM (Bill Rice – New York University)
Apr 9: Practical – Journal club
Future perspectives
Apr 14: Lecture – The future of cryoEM (SEMC staff)
Apr 16: Practical – Journal club
Apr 21: Practical – Journal club
Apr 23 Practical – Roundtable (SEMC staff)
Apr 28: Lecture – Wrap up (SEMC staff)
Previous courses:
Materials from previous courses may be found on our left bar.
The lecture slides are provided for educational purposes only. All rights are reserved by their original authors. Please contact them if you would like to use or repost their content.
Recitations:
Practicals/Journal club in the SEMC conference room (starts @3:30pm)
Course instructors:
Edward Eng (NYSBC, Manager): Course leader
Mahira Aragon (NYSBC): Teaching assistant
Aaron Owji (NYSBC): Teaching assistant
Jessalyn Miller (NYSBC): Teaching assistant
Zephan Melville (NYSBC): Teaching assistant
Grading:
For researchers taking the course for credit, the final score will be tabulated as follows:
- Recitation 40%
- Practical Worksheet 10% x 4
- Attendance 20%
Suggested class structure (1.5 hr class)
- Part 1: Introduction by guest lecturer on applying the class topic to scientific questions with focus on the nuts & bolts of the technique. Examples may be from their own research or recent papers.
- Part 2: Open ended discussion on the topic. Conversation starters may come from concept check questions on the topic or presentation on newer developments in the field.
Note: If you are taking the course for credit make sure to sign up through your institution’s registrar as well.
- CUNY GC course BICM88900, class number 58654 – Special Topics in Biochemistry – 3 credits
- Columbia BCHM G6400 – Cryo-Electron Microscopy – 4 credits