Cryo-TEM designed for high resolution and throughput
PT Wadya Prima Mulia as the Authorized Distributor for ThermoFisher Scientific in Indonesia, provides Glacios 2 Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscope
The Thermo Scientific Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM showcases many of the advances that have made high-quality analysis possible on 200 kV instruments. The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM provides near atomic resolution. With improved hardware and a new enclosure that minimizes environmental influences, the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM now has an information limit of 2.1 Å. Similarly, transmission loss due to ice growth has been reduced to 2% over 24 hours, helping you collect more high-resolution images with less effort.
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The combination of the Thermo Scientific Selectris X Energy Filter with the Thermo Scientific Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector, the newly designed enclosure, and Thermo Scientific Smart EPU Software work together to guide the microscope and user to get the best possible results from their samples. The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM in combination with the Thermo Scientific low-energy-spread cold FEG (E-CFEG), Thermo Scientific Selectris X Energy Filter, the Thermo Scientific Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector, the newly designed enclosure, and Thermo Scientific Smart EPU Software work together to guide the microscope and user to get the best possible results from their samples with unprecedented resolution, speed, and ease of use at 200 keV.
The Thermo Scientific E-CFEG is a cold field emission gun with a narrow energy spread that results in higher contrast images and higher resolution. This add-on makes it possible to efficiently solve structures at resolutions of 2.5 Å or less.
Maximized productivity with automation
Smart EPU Software’s automation and AI-driven plugins guide you through critical decision points, and in some cases make decisions automatically, reducing the need for manual intervention.
Accelerated cryo-EM data collection
The Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector can take up to 320 fps while fringe-free imaging and automation combined with Smart Plugins help your experiment move quickly from one step to the next.
Simplified cryo-EM workflows
Smart EPU Software assists with experimental set up and provides real-time feedback throughout the experiment, reducing the need for prior expertise.
High-resolution TEM results
Hardware optimization has been focused on improved specificity and sensitivity in electron detection. For instance, the Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector enables high detective quantum efficiency (DQE) across the full spectral range, capturing small, flexible proteins as well as larger structures using fewer images. When coupled with Selectris or Selectris X Energy Filters, signal is limited to the zero-loss, elastically scattered electrons, producing high-contrast TEM data for higher throughput and higher resolution structures. The optional, integrated E-CFEG has a lower energy spread and better coherence than a traditional Schottky FEG, which enables higher contrast at high resolutions (≤2.0 Å) and to reach higher resolutions in less time.
High throughput cryo-TEM image acquisition
The integrated Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector provides better image quality than its predecessors in less time. To further enhance productivity and image quality, the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM offers fringe-free imaging (FFI) that eliminates fringes at the edge of the beam, a more stable stage, and faster automated data acquisition. Together, these improvements allow you to collect more images per foil hole and accelerate single particle analysis and cryo-ET. Adding the Selectris X Imaging Filter allows you to use a very stable narrow slit width (<10 eV) for an additional boost in contrast for single particle cryo-EM and cryo-ET, improving resolution and obtaining results faster with less data to maximize resolution.
Automated cryo-EM software maximizes ease of use and efficiency
Smart EPU Software enables faster and easier set up and processing, benefiting both expert and non-expert microscopists. Several critical set-up steps have been automated, such as alignment of the column and repair of system status, when possible. In addition, the software and various optional add-ons can help users get the most out of their microscope time and the best possible results.
- EPU Multigrid software: EPU Multigrid Software allows users to take full advantage of their autoloader by enabling them to setup and queue multiple data acquisition experiments to run unattended and overnight.
- EPU Quality Monitor: EPU Quality Monitor (EQM) Software analyzes and visualizes images on-the-fly, enabling users to judge image quality of running or completed acquisitions remotely.
- Embedded CryoSPARC Live: Integrated real-time data analysis to monitor image and sample quality.
Cryo-EM sample screening and workflow connectivity
Sample screening is an essential component of successful cryo-EM workflows, allowing verification of sample quality in terms of both biochemistry and vitrification. The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM fits seamlessly into single particle analysis and cryo-ET workflows with convenient and contamination-free sample transfer throughout the workflow.
The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM easily connects to workflows on other Thermo Scientific instruments, including:
- Thermo Scientific Krios Cryo-TEM
- Thermo Scientific Tundra Cryo-TEM
- Thermo Scientific Aquilos 2 Cryo-FIB
- Thermo Scientific Arctis Cryo Plasma FIB
In addition to optimal mechanical connectivity, Smart EPU data management, powered by Thermo Scientific Athena Software, enables data connectivity for reproducible operation and storage of acquired data.
Smaller footprint
The hardware architecture of the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM has been specifically designed with a smaller footprint and easier access path compared to other 200kV microscopes with automated sample loading systems.
| Source | • High-brightness field emission gun (X-FEG) • Low Energy Spread cold FEG (E-CFEG) |
| Accelerating voltage | Flexible accelerating voltage from 80–200 kV |
| Cryo-autoloader | Cryo-Autoloader for automated and contamination-free loading of cassettes containing up to 12 Autogrids |
| Temperature management software | Includes liquid nitrogen autofill and cool down scheduling |
| Lenses | • Automatic condenser, objective and SA apertures • Symmetric constant power objective lens (minimize image aberrations and lens hysteresis during mode switching) • Symmetric constant power C-TWIN objective lens with wide-gap pole piece (11 mm) |
| Stage | • Computerized 4-axis specimen stage with ±70-degree alpha tilt • Cryo-stage with single-axis holder |
| Imaging | Rotation-free imaging with changing magnification |
| Installation requirement highlights | • Environmental temperature: 18°C–23°C • Door height: 2.32 m (optionally reduced to 2.00 m) • Door width: 0.99 m • Ceiling height: 2.80 m |
| AFIS (aberration-free image shift) | Enhancing throughput with shorter relaxation times when moving coma-free between grid holes |
| FFI (fringe-free imaging) | Fringe-free imaging (FFI) for multiple image acquisitions per grid hole |
| Smart EPU Software | • EPU 3 Software for automated sample screening and data acquisition (includes open application programming interface) • EPU Multigrid functionality (optional) • EPU Quality Monitor Software (optional) • Embedded CryoSPARC Live (optional) |
| Additional components | Primary control unit with two 24” monitors to be placed within 10 m of the column |
| Detectors (optional) | • Falcon 4 Direct Electron Detector • Thermo Scientific Ceta™ D Camera • Thermo Scientific Ceta-M Camera • HAADF STEM detectors* • On-axis BF/DF detectors* *STEM is not compatible with FFI |
| Energy filter (optional) | Selectris and Selectris X Imaging Filters |
Flexible platform ideal for multiple cryo-TEM applications
The Thermo Scientific Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM offers structural biology labs a complete package for studying protein structures and delivers unique insights, supporting multiple applications including single-particle analysis, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), and microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). With the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM, configured with the Thermo Scientific Selectris X Imaging Filter and the Thermo Scientific Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector, you can visually resolve protein structures and produce 3D reconstructions down to 1.6 Å.
High resolution single particle cryo-EM
With its high-resolution capabilities, the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM is ideal for single particle analysis, enabling near-atomic structural determination of challenging proteins without the need for crystallization. Samples can be studied directly in solution. High-quality data collection is possible thanks to hardware improvements and the integration of innovative Thermo Scientific Smart EPU Software.
High throughput cryo-EM
The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM couples high-resolution with high-throughput to provide valuable structural insights. The integrated Falcon 4i Direct Electron Detector provides better image quality than its predecessors in less time. To further enhance productivity and image quality, the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM offers fringe-free imaging that eliminates fringes at the edge of the beam, a more stable stage, and faster automated data acquisition. Together, these improvements allow you to collect more images per foil hole and accelerate single particle analysis.
High throughput cryo-EM for drug discovery
Cryo-electron microscopy is rapidly drawing interest in structure-based drug discovery and design, since it can accurately and rapidly visualize to high resolutions the interactions between drug and receptor of a multitude of samples. The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM can perform as a standalone tool for high resolution data collection, for example, CAK at 2.3 Å, but also serves as a powerful screening system that enhances subsequent 300 kV analysis. The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM was used to determine over two dozen 3.5-4.5 Å kinase structures at ~1 structure per hour. This approach greatly improves throughput and productivity, optimizing the time spent on the higher-resolution Thermo Scientific Krios Cryo TEM and ensuring that the highest quality data is collected for only the most ideal samples. This methodology facilitates the application of cryo-EM to iterative structure-based drug design, which is becoming increasingly necessary to address a range of global health challenges.
Cryo-tomography
The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM offers excellent cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) capabilities, providing nanometer-scale imaging of a cell’s interior in 3D and the visualization of protein complexes within their physiological environments. Using the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM, tomography data can be obtained from whole bacterial cells or lamellae prepared with Thermo Scientific Aquilos, Arctis or Hydra Bio Cryo-focused ion beam (Cryo-FIB) instruments.
Microcrystal electron diffraction
The structural determination of small molecules and proteins can be challenging using standard methods such as X-ray crystallography. The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM enables fast, high-resolution imaging using microcrystal electron diffraction (microED), where atomic details can be extracted from individual nanocrystals (<200 nm in size), even in a heterogeneous mixture. The Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM can be paired with the Thermo Scientific CETA-D Camera and the Thermo Scientific MicroED Package for a complete solution for MicroED.
The MicroED Package comprises all necessary elements to use the Glacios 2 Cryo-TEM for MicroED applications.
- Thermo Scientific EPU-D Software for screening and automated data acquisition. Coordinating the screening of crystals and diffraction, and data collection itself, can be overwhelming and time-consuming when done manually. EPU-D Software offers ease of use in a user-friendly environment. For example, it enables quick switching between imaging and diffraction, it guides optimal low-dose setup, and drives the constant speed continuous tilt for data collection. EPU-D Software now expands the intuitive capabilities and unified user experience of EPU Software to the electron crystallography domain.
- Optimized smaller beam stop to mask the central beam without blocking low-resolution diffraction spots.
- Optimized aperture set so that unwanted background signal from the area surrounding the crystal can be maximally suppressed.
- Set of dedicated electron-optical settings to enable optimal camera utilization while benefiting from best sample-beam geometry.
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