Cash, J. N. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2020

High-resolution cryo-EM using beam-image shift at 200 keV

Recent advances in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data collection utilizes beam-image shift to improve throughput. Despite implementation on 300 keV cryo-EM instruments, it remains unknown how well beam-image shift data collection affects data quality on 200 keV instruments and how much aberrations can be computationally corrected. To test this, we collected and analyzed a cryo-EM dataset of aldolase at 200 keV using beam-image shift. This analysis shows that beam tilt on the instrument initially limited the resolution of aldolase to 4.9[A]. After iterative rounds of aberration correction and particle polishing in RELION, we were able to obtain a 2.8[A] structure. This analysis demonstrates that software correction of microscope aberrations can provide a significant improvement in resolution at 200 keV.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2019

High-throughput cryo-EM enabled by user-free preprocessing routines

The growth of single-particle cryo-EM into a mainstream structural biology tool has allowed for many important biological discoveries. Continued developments in data collection strategies alongside new sample preparation devices heralds a future where users will collect multiple datasets per microscope session. To make cryo-EM data processing more automatic and user-friendly, we have developed an automatic pipeline for cryo-EM data preprocessing and assessment using a combination of deep learning and image analysis tools. We have verified the performance of this pipeline on a number of datasets and extended its scope to include sample screening by the user-free assessment of the qualities of a series of datasets under different conditions. We propose that our workflow provides a decision-free solution for cryo-EM, making data preprocessing more generalized and robust in the high-throughput era as well as more convenient for users from a range of backgrounds.

biophysics↗