Under the Pasteur 2030 Strategic Plan, the Institut Pasteur is committed to providing its scientific community with state-of-the-art technological equipment to strengthen its leadership in biomedical research and further improve its wide-ranging technological environment. The Institut Pasteur is therefore delighted to announce that a new JEOL JEM-120i transmission electron microscope has been installed in the Ultrastructural BioImaging core facility. This is the first installation of the JEM-120i model in Europe.

This investment serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it aims to support the evolving scientific needs of research teams, which require instruments that are increasingly powerful, reliable, and accessible. At the Institut Pasteur, electron microscopy is central to many Pasteurian research projects, enabling nanoscale observation of pathogens, infected cells, and the molecular mechanisms underlying biological processes. 

On the other hand, it allows for the renewal of infrastructure that has served the scientific community well for over a decade. The JEOL 120i will thus replace a microscope installed in 2012, providing the technological improvements necessary to meet current standards in electron imaging, particularly in terms of ergonomics, automation, image quality, and the sustainability of technical support. 

This new microscope will be used in a wide variety of fields, ranging from the study of host-pathogen interactions to the ultrastructural characterization of cells, tissues, bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It will also contribute to user training and the development of new methodological approaches in electron and correlative imaging, fields in which the Pasteur Institute possesses internationally recognized expertise. 

Depending on project needs and the users’ level of autonomy, data acquisition can be conducted either collaboratively or following training that enables independent access to the instrument. 

Although priority is naturally given to the Institut Pasteur's research projects, the JEOL 120i is intended to be open to the broader scientific community. The UBI platform already regularly hosts users from other academic institutions and research organizations (Institut Curie, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Institut Imagine, École de France, etc.). This policy of openness will be maintained for this new equipment, within the limits of the platform’s capacity and in accordance with the standard procedures for accessing shared infrastructure. The highly innovative nature of this facility—the first of its kind in Europe—is already generating significant interest within the imaging community, thereby enabling the strengthening of existing scientific collaborations and the establishment of new ones at the regional, national, and European levels.

Practical informations

Features of the new transmission electron microscope include:

• Resolution up to 0.14 nm

• Accelerating voltage: 20 to 120 kV

• Magnification up to 1,500,000×

• NEOView 4 MP/30 fps camera

• Mounted with a SightSKY 19 MP/58 fps high-resolution camera

• Simplified four-step workflow

• "Butler" mode that automatically assists data acquisition

• Optimized system to load and change specimens without turning off emission

With its modern automated interface, the JEM-120i is a versatile tool for imaging biological specimens. It offers multiple applications: negative staining, ultrathin sections, immunogold labeling (the Tokuyasu cryosectioning technique), electron tomography, etc.

To access the booking service for the Ultrastructural BioImaging core facility

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Testimonials 

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“This next-generation electron microscope represents a major technological advance for the study of insects, vectors, and host–pathogen interactions, as well as, more broadly, for cell biology, tissue research, virology, and neuroscience. Its installation is a source of great pride and is part of the institute’s ongoing effort to modernize its technological infrastructure. It also opens up new possibilities for the development of advanced imaging protocols and support for high-resolution research projects. It thus strengthens our ability to link ultrastructural observation to a functional understandingof biological systems.” 

Adeline Mallet, Head of the Ultrastructural Bioimaging Platform
 

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 “Deficits of the auditory nerve, referred to as auditory neuropathy, underlie a substantial proportion of auditory pathologies. Neuropathies contribute to at least 10% of hearing impairments (600.000 patients in France) and encompass a mosaic of congenital and acquired disorders that affect the transmission of sound from the ear to the brain making it difficult to diagnose accurately and to remedy. The new TEM will allow us to investigate whether the thickness of the myelin sheath is affected in our genetic models of auditory neuropathy.” 

Nicolas Michalski, Head of the Plasticity of Central Auditory Circuit Laboratory
 

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"Parasites are responsible for many serious infections worldwide (malaria, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, etc.). Sequencing their genomes has revealed numerous previously unknown genes, whose functions are being studied using reverse genetics (RNA interference, deletion, or CRISPR-Cas9 editing). Electron microscopy is an essential tool for characterizing with high precision the effects of mutations on parasite morphology and thus deducing the role of each gene—knowledge that is indispensable for developing diagnostic tools and identifying new therapeutic targets.” 

Philippe Bastin, Head of the Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit