Yale CryoEM Resource

The YCR empowers users with significant flexibility to apply various cryoEM techniques (such as SPA, cryoET, and MicroED, as well as negative stain EM) to their research. Four types of services are available:

• Training: YCR users interested in acquiring cryoEM skills can participate in YCR’s virtual workshops (free of charge) and/or receive in-person trainings (incurring charges) on cryoEM techniques provided by YCR’s expert staff. Once users pass YCR’s certification, they will be authorized to independently operate YCR instruments. Refer to YCR Policies for more details.
• Self-service: Certified users who are authorized to independently use YCR instruments can perform experiments at YCR on their own. Additionally, YCR staff is available for support during business hours as needed.
• Partial-service: YCR users have the option to utilize YCR’s hourly-based partial-service for specific tasks such as EM alignments and SerialEM setup. Users can work remotely or on-site.
• Full-service: YCR users can also take advantage of YCR’s full-service for cryo sample preparation, sample screening, and/or cryoEM data collection. Users can send or bring their samples to YCR, where expert staff will carry out the experiments. Remote users can communicate with YCR staff during the service through Zoom meetings that facilitate screen sharing.

Computational needs are supported by the Yale Center for Research Computing. Please follow their guidelines and instructions.

You can subscribe to the Cryoem-journalclub mailing list to receive updates and announcements. 

In addition, you can subscribe to the YSM_Structural_Biology_Seminar_Series mailing list by contacting Titus Boggon.

Visit About cryoEM for explanations of basic techniques, CryoEM discussion forums, recommended readings, the debate on "resolution," and a list of workshops, online courses, and seminar recordings.

Electron microscopes

YCR has a Titan Krios on West Campus, a Glacios and a Tecnai T12 at the Yale School of Medicine, and a Glacios and a Talos L120C on Science Hill.

Instruments for sample preparation

The core houses multiple cryo-sample preparation devices.

The instruments in the Yale CryoEM Resource (YCR) represent a substantial investment and are vital resources for the Yale research community. To ensure that these instruments remain accessible and operate at peak performance with minimal downtime, YCR's staff and its Faculty Advisory Committee have established the YCR Policies, which are reviewed and updated periodically.

Rates are available on page 8 of the YCR Policies document.

Acknowledgment in publications

Considerable and continued funding is essential for the YCR to provide high-end support and maintain subsidized usage fees for researchers. To help sustain this level of support, it is critical that the YCR and its funding sources be acknowledged in publications. Therefore, publications resulting from work conducted at the YCR are required to include an acknowledgment, such as:

• “CryoEM data were collected at the Yale CryoEM Resource that is funded in part by the NIH grant S10OD023603.” (if the SH Glacios is used)
• “CryoEM data were collected at the Yale CryoEM Resource.” (for all other instruments)
   

The Yale CryoEM Resource (YCR) offers a range of training opportunities to support users at different levels of experience. These include monthly virtual workshops and in-person training sessions, both designed to enhance user skills and support high-quality CryoEM research.

Virtual workshops

YCR hosts free virtual workshops via Zoom on the first Wednesday of each month, rotating among various topics. These workshops do not include hands-on practice due to time constraints. They are designed to:

• Introduce or reinforce key CryoEM concepts
• Address topics users may have missed during instrument training
• Provide workflow updates and best practices

Workshop options

• Topic 1: EM operation and Daily alignment  
• Topic 2: Negative stain EM data acquisition using SerialEM and the Talos L120C
• Topic 3: SPA sample screening and data acquisition using SerialEM & Glacios
• Topic 4: User-suggested topics

Workshops may be canceled if fewer than three users register. Content, instructors, and scheduling are periodically adjusted based on participant feedback.

Upcoming virtual workshop

    Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
    Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Topic: SPA sample screening and data acquisition using SerialEM & Glacios 
    Instructor: Jianfeng Lin

    To register, please email Jianfeng Lin. Registered participants will receive training materials and a Zoom link in advance.

In-person training

YCR provides four types of in-person training tailored to varying expertise levels. Please refer to the Policies & rates section for details.

Training types

1. Negative stain EM training (five 2-hour training sessions)
   Instruments: Talos L120C or Tecnai T12
2. CryoEM basic training (three 7-hour training sessions; refer to the training agenda for more information on content)
   Instrument: Glacios
3. Advanced training
   Example: SPA data acquisition on Glacios using SerialEM
4. Refresher training (<1 hour)
   For users returning to CryoEM after a break or needing updates

Registration for in-person training

Interested Yale users must first set up a Yale PPMS account by following the instructions, then request training by emailing one of the following staff members based on your preferred location:

• Science Hill: Jianfeng Lin
• Yale School of Medicine: Marc Llaguno
• West Campus: Kangkang Song

Please include a completed EM Training Request Form (example) in your email. External users should contact Jianfeng Lin directly.

All instrument usage within YCR must be scheduled through PPMS.

Each EM instrument offers two session types: Attended and Unattended.

• Attended sessions involve partial or full support from YCR staff.
• Unattended sessions require the user to perform their experiment independently, although YCR staff and engineers may provide support during regular business hours (Monday–Friday). Only qualified users (Certified Users or Superusers) are eligible to reserve Unattended sessions.

Krios

• Attended sessions are available on weekdays.
• Unattended sessions are available on holidays, weekends, and days when staff are unavailable.
• Each lab is allowed one active reservation at a time. Additional requests can be submitted after the current reservation is completed.
• The scheduling window is three weeks. To request time, users must email Kangkang Song with a completed Krios access request form (see forms and examples below). Queue order is based on the timestamp of the request email.

All other instruments

• Attended sessions are limited to weekdays. To request an Attended session, users must email the Site Director of the relevant instrument with a completed Access Request Form. Queue order is based on the timestamp of the request email.
• Unattended sessions can be scheduled on any day and reserved directly in PPMS; however, cancellations are subject to YCR policies to prevent short-notice or excessive cancellations.

EM Access request forms (Yale credentials required; external users will be provided with the forms during their onboarding process):

• Talos L120C or T12 access request form (an example of the form)
• Glacios access request form (an example of the form)
• Titan Krios access request form (an example of the form)

For more scheduling details, see the YCR Policies document.

List of publications supported by Yale CryoEM Resource.