WORKSHOPS & COURSES
The Winter-Spring 2027 EM Course
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 18: Martin Luther King Holiday (no class)
Jan 20: Lecture – Introduction & Basic anatomy of the electron microscope (Ed Eng – NYSBC/SEMC & SEMC staff)
Jan 25: Lecture – New cryoEM hardware and supporting a facility (Michael Alink – NYSBC/SEMC)
Jan 27: Practical – TEM use (SEMC staff)
Feb 1: Lecture – Considerations for biological cryoEM (Ed Eng – NYSBC/SEMC & SEMC staff)
Feb 5: Practical – Sample Preparation & Support films (SEMC staff)
Feb 8: Lecture – Image formation (SEMC staff)
Feb 10: Practical – Journal club (On sample vitrification)
EM crystallography section
Feb 15: President’s Day Holiday (no class)
Feb 17: Practical – Journal club (On the best keV for biological samples)
Feb 22: Lecture – MicroED (Bill Rice – New York University)
Feb 24: Practical – Journal club
Mar 1: Lecture – Helical reconstruction (Hernando Sosa – Albert Einstein College of Medicine)
Mar 3: Practical – Journal club
Single-particle section
Mar 8: Lecture – Intro to Single Particle (Joachim Frank – Columbia University)
Mar 10: Practical – Data processing (SEMC staff)
March 15 – 19 CUIMC spring break
Mar 22: Lecture – Data Processing (theory and algorithms) (Reza Khayat – CUNY)
Mar 24: Practical – Journal club (On HIV trimer controversy)
Mar 29: Lecture – Building Atomic Models (Oli Clarke – Columbia University)
Mar 31: Practical – Coot workshop (worksheet) – Fitting atomic models
Apr 5: Lecture – Dealing with heterogeneity (Sonya Hanson – Flatiron Institute)
Apr 7: Practical – Journal club
Tomography section*
Apr 12: 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 19: Lecture – FIB-SEM redux (Bill Rice – New York University)
Apr 21: Practical – Journal club
Future perspectives
Apr 26: Lecture – The future of cryoEM (SEMC staff)
Apr 28: Practical – Journal club
May 3: Practical – Roundtable (SEMC staff)
May 5: Lecture – Wrap up (SEMC staff)
May 10: Last day of classes
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
Alex Vogt (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
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.