Jagiellonian University National Synchroton Radiation Centre SOLARIS has signed a contract for the delivery of a cryo-electron microscope for industrial research. The Centre obtained EU funding for this purpose a few months ago. The GLACIOS microscope will be part of the National Cryo-Em Centre, the heart of which is the Titan Krios G3i. Funding was awarded by the National Information Processing Institute (OPI PIB) as part of the EU's Smart Growth Operational Programme.
The purchase of the second microscope will complement the SOLARIS offer, as it is addressed primarily to companies interested in using the technique of cryomicroscopy in their research.
This new technology is currently becoming crucial in structural biology. Research conducted with the use of synchrotron radiation facilitates understanding of the cellular mechanisms behind human diseases, the design of new drugs, and the optimisation of existing drug molecules. The technique is also successfully being applied in nanotechnology and other fields.
After the GLACIOS microscope arrives at SOLARIS, it will be installed and subjected to the Site Acceptance Test.
The cost of the purchase (11 million PLN) comprises research equipment, sample preparation laboratory, mass storage for data collection, computing unit for data analysis, and complimentary IT structure with software.
The project will be co-funded by the EU's Smart Growth Operational Programme (Measure 4.2 'Development of modern research infrastructure of the science sector').
