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New exhibition room opens at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge




A gloomy and little-used meeting room at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) has been transformed into a new exhibition room.

The inaugural exhibition at the space, next to the reception at the Cambridge lab, has now been launched. Titled ‘Setting the stage: development of sample holders for electron cryomicroscopy’, its showcases exhibits from the 1960s to today

Director Jan Löwe cuts the ribbon to officially open the new exhibition room at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Picture: MRC LMB
Director Jan Löwe cuts the ribbon to officially open the new exhibition room at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Picture: MRC LMB

Stephen Holmes, head of estates and capital projects, was tasked with converting the space in 2019. Construction began in autumn 2020 and the space was fitted out by March 2021.

Launching the exhibition room, LMB director Jan Löwe said: “This is a joyous moment that has come after a lot of effort, especially since so much work had to be done remotely during the pandemic. Visitors to the building can now see the LMB’s history and learn about work currently under way.”

Restrictions due to the pandemic remain in place both at the LMB and on the wider Cambridge Biomedical Campus. At the LMB, the exhibition room is restricted to four people at a time, face coverings and hand sanitising are required.

The initial exhibition shows how development in sample holders was vital for the progression from electron microscopy to cryo-EM - a technique used to discover the structure of biological samples at molecular resolution.

It requires specimens to be at temperatures below -180°C (100 Kelvin) during microscopy. This means they stay in a near native state, while an increased electron dose can be used to produce micrographs providing more information about the structures.

LMB Director Jan Löwe with group leaders Richard Henderson and Chris Russo at the inaugural exhibition in the LMB’s new exhibition room. Picture: MRC LMB
LMB Director Jan Löwe with group leaders Richard Henderson and Chris Russo at the inaugural exhibition in the LMB’s new exhibition room. Picture: MRC LMB

The first holders used at the LMB in the 1960s are featured, along with those developed within the LMB in the 1980s, later commercialised holders built following the LMB’s example, and the commercial holders used frequently within the lab today.

There is information about the scientists behind the microscopes, including how Nigel Unwin and Jacques Dubochet utilised the 1960s holders and how Richard Henderson improved the methodology of single particle cryo-EM - for which he was jointly awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Also on show are the holders used by Chris Russo and his group, whose recent work has focused on improving the quality and functionality of electron microscopes.

You can share your thoughts on the exhibition using #LMBExhibition on social media.

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