Analytical and Technical Services
Microscopy: TEM and SEM (238 Baker Lab)

Laboratory Safety Training

All users of any A&TS laboratory are required to complete health and safety training provided by the ESF office of Environmental Health and Safety Services. Lab users are referred to the Laboratory Safety Guide and Chemical Hygiene Plan.

All users of any A&TS laboratory are required to complete orientation with the A&TS unit lab manager. Orientation will include facility operations (e.g., laboratory access, scheduling, general use of equipment, housekeeping, etc.) and unit-specific safety protocols. Orientation is important to create a safe and efficient work environment for all users. Contact Deb Driscoll at [email protected] for information, FACES scheduling system access and analytical requests pertaining to the SEM lab.

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

A&TS operates and manages a JEOL JSM IT-100. This SEM is used in a wide range of fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, material science, and water quality by scientists at ESF and affiliated institutions. Samples imaged with the SEM have ranged from large to microscopic and biological to man-made: insects, pollen buckets, nanoparticles, many types of metals, polymer composites, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

The JEOL JSM-IT100 is capable of 33-300,000X magnification with 4nm resolution. It is equipped with a secondary electron detector, backscatter electron detector, low vacuum secondary detector and silicon drift x-ray detector. The thermionic electron gun can be set from 1-20kV. The x-ray detector and software enable the collection and manipulation of energy dispersive x-ray spectra as well as element maps and point and line analyses. Samples must be conductive to prevent the buildup of charge and repulsion of the electron beam. If not conductive, samples can be made conductive with our Edwards sputter and carbon coater. We also have available a Tousimis critical point dryer for samples in ethanol.

The SEM can handle a large variety of samples under a large variety of conditions. An insulated cryo-stub is available for in-situ examination/freeze drying of biological samples and a STEM holder for thin samples on grids. The stage has both tilt and rotation features.

Instrument and Staff Rates

A&TS staff are available to provide consultation at no cost for an initial one-hour period on each research project. After the first hour, an analyst fee may be applied when in direct support of research projects. Consultation is available to our ESF academic customers to aid with proposal or method development. Training to develop sample preparation techniques or skills with instrument operation may be available based upon a user’s prior knowledge and experience with fundamental theory, methods and instrument operation. A&TS staff are solely authorized to determine whether an individual has attained sufficient proficiency to operate in the lab independently of A&TS staff supervision.

Item	Internal (ESF-RF)	External (Non-ESF Academic Research)	External (Private)	Internal (ESF Instructional Support)
Analyst fee ($/hr) applied to consultation, training, method development, data analysis, or instrument operation by A&TS	$40/hr	$55/hr	Call for quote	$0/hr
SEM Instrument Facility Fee	$25/hr	$35/hr	Call for quote	Cost of supplies & materials
Sputter Coating	$25 per run	$35/run	Call for quote	Cost of supplies & materials

Rates are effective 11/1/2025 and are subject to change. Please confirm rates with A&TS staff prior to submitting proposal budgets.

This charge basis helps recover costs for analyzing small numbers of samples, method development, consumables, data analysis, and instrument service and maintenance.

Discount Options

The SEM analyst fee may be waived if sample analysis is performed by the qualified PI or graduate student.

The instrument facility fee applies to all users. The analyst fee will be added to the instrument fee if the A&TS analyst executes the imaging on behalf of the researcher.

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

Our transmission electron microscope is a JEOL JSM-2000EX. The JSM 2000EX has an accelerating voltage of 80-200 kV. This instrument has a lattice image resolution of 0.14nm and a point image resolution of 0.28 nm and can be operated at a magnification of 1,000,000 X. The variable accelerating voltage permits the observation of negative stained proteins, bacteria, viruses or ultrathin sections at the lower kV as well as superior resolution of nanoparticles and thick specimens at higher voltages. It has a side entry tilt stage goniometer that can perform 3D reconstruction of macromolecules, single particles and tomography of whole cells. It can also perform micro electron diffraction yielding atomic resolution on thin samples as has been accomplished with purple membrane. Other capabilities are a specimen position memory function, an auto through focus function, an optimum underfocus function, a minimum dose system, and an image data recording function.

The lab has ancillary equipment that allows for ultrathin (60nm) sectioning using diamond knives of resin or frozen material, freeze-substitution, rotary shadowing, immunolabeling, freeze fracturing of various samples both biological and materials.