Major £1.9million investment brings world-class microscopy facility to Birkbeck
Birkbeck has secured £1.9million in funding to substantially expand a state-of-the-art facility to allow scientists to study cells in extraordinary detail, marking a major step forward for the university’s world-leading research in structural and molecular biology.
At the heart of the project, led by Carolyn Moores, Professor of Structural Biology at Birkbeck, is the installation of a new cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) microscope in a specialist laboratory at the university. It allows researchers to cut ultra-thin slices from frozen biological samples, such as cells or tissue, and examine them using powerful electron microscopes.
The remarkable piece of equipment enables scientists to see how the smallest parts of cells function in real life, revealing how diseases develop and how the body works at its most fundamental level.
The funding for the project includes £1.2million from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), £150,000 from University College London and £470,000 from the Wolfson Foundation to support essential building and infrastructure work.
Professor Sally Wheeler OBE, Vice-Chancellor of Birkbeck, said: “The project will be transformational both for the field of Structural Biology and for Birkbeck, where we have an enduring commitment to world-class research and research-led teaching. The new equipment and laboratory will be game-changing for research in structural and molecular biology. Thank you to the BBSRC, the Wolfson Foundation and our partners at UCL for investing in this world-leading research at Birkbeck.”
Paul Ramsbottom OBE, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “Birkbeck has long been home to world-leading structural biology research, which needs to be underpinned by cutting edge imaging equipment. We are delighted to fund Birkbeck to accommodate the new cryo-FIB microscope, which holds great promise as a method to study the molecular and cellular origins of disease.”
Professor Moores, the academic head of the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology’s Electron Microscopy Facility, where the lab will be housed, said: “Using cryo-FIB in structural biology is what everyone is talking about and now we can really get stuck in ourselves. Our Facility is already excellent but this new equipment will both enhance existing projects and will also dramatically expand the types of projects that we can take on.”
The cryo-FIB microscope will be used to support a wide range of studies including understanding how muscles develop, how brain diseases progress with age and how drug resistance spreads between bacteria.
Professor Moores said: “One of the amazing aspects of the cryo-FIB sample preparation method is that it unlocks the ability to explore many research areas that were previously completely out of bounds. Because of the specific requirements of more traditional structural biology methods, individual cellular components had to be studied in isolation. Now we will be able to look at them working together, including the ability to visualise molecular collaborations that we had no idea existed. I’m expecting to be surprised! By enabling us to study these molecules as they work together – in what has been referred to as studies of “molecular sociology” - we will unlock new biological concepts.”
The cryo-FIB microscope will be housed in a specially designed laboratory at Birkbeck, which will be refurbished to meet the technical requirements of this sensitive equipment. This includes reinforced flooring, environmental controls, ventilation systems and protection against vibrations and electromagnetic interference - all of which are essential to ensure accurate high-resolution imaging. Construction on the new lab is expected to begin in late 2025, with the facility opening to researchers in early 2026.
The new lab will also form a vital resource for cross-disciplinary research at the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (ISMB), a collaborative research centre shared by Birkbeck and University College London (UCL). The ISMB brings together scientists working across disciplines, from molecular biology and bioinformatics to imaging and structural analysis.
Because there are currently only a few cryo-FIB microscopes available in the UK with many operating at full capacity, this new facility will also help meet growing national demand. Researchers from across Birkbeck, UCL and other partner institutions will benefit from easier and more frequent access to this technology. By hosting the equipment in central London, researchers can reduce travel and avoid having to ship delicate samples across the country.
The facility is also a major step forward in how Birkbeck builds research capacity through training and collaboration, supporting early-career scientists and fostering knowledge-sharing across the UK research community.
Professor Moores said: “Because the technology is so new, the experiments are still very challenging, even with state-of-the-art equipment. Our Facility has always played an important role in training the next generation of researchers and will continue to do so in cryo-FIB methods. We will also continue to collaborate with colleagues around the UK to share best-practice and troubleshooting to collectively maximise our discoveries.”