The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research together with the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce organizes the quarterly Biotech Connector Speaker Series. This event promotes and supports the Frederick County and surrounding areas’ biotech and bioscience community and provides an inside look at local advances.
Register ATRF , Advanced Technology Research Facility (ATRF) 8560 Progress Drive, Frederick, MD 21701 Frederick National Laboratory
Topics & Speakers
Electron Microscopy Advances Biomedical Research
Abstract
Electron microscopy (EM) has played an essential role in our understanding of the current-day cell biology. Since the publication of the first electron micrograph of an intact cell in 1945, EM has remained at the forefront of scientific research, including in the unravelling of fundamental molecular interactions in basic cell mechanisms, major advances in the development of novel nanomedicines and vaccines, and innovations in tissue engineering. This presentation will discuss the application of various EM techniques and instrumentation in modern biomedical research.
Bio
Ru-ching Hsia, Ph.D, is a Principal Scientist and Head of the Electron Microscopy Laboratory at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.
She received her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Stanford University. Before joining EML, she was a Professor and Director of the Electron Microscopy Core Imaging Facility at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and in the Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore.
Dr. Hsia has extensive experience in transmission and scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, instrumentation, and sample processing for biomedical research. Dr. Hsia is also the organizer and host of a bimonthly webinar BioEMTalks.
Volume Electron Microscopy: Imaging Cells and Tissue Ultrastructure in 3D
Abstract
Traditionally, electron microscopy (EM) has been used in biology to produce high resolution images of cell and tissue ultrastructure; these 2D images yield a beautiful and descriptive but ultimately an incomplete picture of the specimen. More recently, the visualization of ultrastructure in 3D and over a wide range of volumes has been made possible by deploying a powerful approach called "volume electron microscopy" or volume EM (vEM). When coupled with strategies for automation and cutting-edge AI tools for analysis, vEM is further empowered, enabling insights and discoveries in a wide variety of experimental systems. Named as one of "7 technologies to watch" by Nature in 2023, vEM is quietly revolutionizing cell biological imaging.
Bio
Kedar Narayan, Ph.D., is a senior scientist and group leader at the Center for Molecular Microscopy (CMM) at Frederick National Laboratory and National Cancer Institute.
Kedar has a Ph.D. in immunology, with an emphasis on biophysics and imaging, and a background in chemistry, pathology and software engineering. His group has developed and applied FIB-SEM and other volume EM (vEM) technologies to questions in cancer and cell biology.
Specific areas of Kedar’s research focus are correlative imaging, deep learning/AI, and vEM tool development.
Biological Applications for Scanning Electron Microscopy
Abstract
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is a powerful imaging technique that is used to visualize the surface topography and composition of a wide range of samples. In SEM method, a focused beam of electrons is used to generate high-resolution images of the sample’s surface. The talk will cover the SEM technique and its application in biological systems.
Bio
Joe Mowery is an accomplished biologist with an extensive research background in electron and confocal microscopy.
Before joining ZEISS, he led the Electron Microscopy facility at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, focusing on developing novel TEM and Cryo-SEM techniques for various research applications. His work has contributed to over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, and he is the recipient of the Hildegard H. Crowley Award from the Microscopy Society of America for his contributions to the field of Electron Microscopy.
Currently, as a Product & Application Specialist for Life Science EM and X-ray Microscopy at ZEISS Microscopy, Joe works to provide life science researchers on the East Coast with access to the most advanced microscopy technology and techniques, aiming to support their research and facilitate new scientific insights.
He is passionate about Cryo FIB-SEM and Volume EM techniques and is always eager to engage in discussions about these advanced methodologies.