NanoImaging Services Opens New West Coast Facility to Support Growth of Cryo-EM Network

San Diego expansion will create the largest private center for cryo-EM data collection globally

NanoImaging Services, Inc., specialists in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with a vision to make cryo-EM workflows accessible to all, today announced the opening of a new facility close to their San Diego headquarters. The new data collection center is the second facility opening in as many months and serves as further evidence of the company’s investment in growth and ongoing service expansion. It will be the largest private facility for cryo-EM data collection globally and will serve both its national and international clients.

Designed to be a data collection farm, this new facility will host up to four Thermo Fisher Scientific Krios Cryo-TEM microscopes, which will all be equipped with the latest Gatan K3 detector and Gatan Quantum energy filter, plus a state-of-the-art Thermo Fisher Scientific Glacios Cryo-TEM microscope for grid screening. An ultra-high speed, dedicated data line will connect it directly to the San Diego headquarters and Boston client center, so users can  work directly with the NIS microscopists and view images in real-time with the company’s remote image viewer. The first Thermo Scientific Krios at the new facility has already been commissioned and is heavily booked through the end of 2020. A new, formal agreement between NIS and Thermo Scientific will allow the company to add more capacity with minimal lead time.

One of the major hurdles to cryo-EM for many researchers is finding affordable, reliable access to high-end microscopes for high-resolution data collection. By establishing a bank of Thermo Fisher Scientific Krios microscopes, NanoImaging Services aims to guarantee microscope access for extended data collection sessions through its partnership programs or on-demand access through its standby program. The ability to house multiple microscopes in one location will also help lower overheads, reduce maintenance costs and minimize downtime, contributing to the company’s continuing efforts to make cryo-EM more affordable and accessible.

“Together, the coupling of this new infrastructure with industry-leading flexible service models, continues to break down many of the barriers to entry for industry groups of all sizes to participate in the “resolution revolution.” said Clint Potter, founder and CEO of NanoImaging Services. “The new facility supports the continued growth of our company and underlines our commitment to advancing cryo-EM technology and access. We are excited to leverage our increased microscope capacity to serve new and existing customers around the world, as well as help more researchers develop their own cryo-EM project pipelines.”

The rapid development in cryo-EM technology has established the technique as an essential tool for application in structure-based drug discovery, but also highlighted its relevance throughout the drug development pipeline in areas such as antibody development, virus and vaccine studies, characterization of drug delivery vehicles and biopharmaceutical QA/QC. Working closely with their biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients, the NanoImaging Services teams enable valuable access to TEM and cryo-TEM methods alongside their extensive expertise and technical support for improved structural analysis, in a time- and cost-effective manner.

Since acquiring its first Thermo Fisher Scientific Krios Cryo-TEM microscope in 2018, NanoImaging Services has grown rapidly. Its cryo-EM and negative stain workflows are used by leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics companies, as well as by academic researchers worldwide.

In parallel, the company hosted a virtual seminar series and interactive discussion groups with leading scientists on cryo-EM in drug discovery.

‍About NanoImaging Services

NanoImaging Services, Inc. launched in 2007 to provide imaging services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nanotechnology communities. We have since built a client-focused organization with a reputation for expertise, reliability and collaboration. NIS is committed to expanding our service capacity through microscope acquisition, workflow automation, recruitment and training of top talent, and development of new service offerings. Our state-of-the-art facilities include a range of electron microscopes, sample preparation equipment and computational infrastructure to support structural biology, nanoparticle characterization and chemistry workflows. With recent acquisitions, NIS has become the largest and most comprehensive provider of TEM and cryo-EM services to the industrial life science market. For more information, visit: www.nanoimagingservices.com.

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