Project Details
Projekt
Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM)
Subject Area
Neurosciences
Term
Funded in 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 577310779
Focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) enables automated, nanometre-scale three-dimensional imaging of biological specimens. It provides isotropic resolution below 10 nm, precise targeting of regions of interest, and long-term automated acquisition of image stacks. These features make FIB-SEM particularly suitable for reconstructing complex subcellular structures such as synapses, dendritic spines, glial processes, extracellular space, and organelles within large tissue volumes. When combined with complementary techniques such as light microscopy, electrophysiology, and molecular labelling, FIB-SEM becomes a powerful tool for studying structure-function relationships in the nervous system at the nanoscale. The requested instrument will be used to investigate structural correlates of synaptic plasticity and glia-neuron/vessel interactions in both rodent and human brain tissue. Research aims include the analysis of experience-, stimulation-, and disease-dependent changes in synaptic architecture, the role of glial cells in synapse remodelling, and the morphometric reconstruction of local neural circuits across brain regions. Access to high-quality human cortical tissue obtained from neurosurgical procedures within the Center for Advanced Surgical Tissue Analysis (CAST) and shortly post-mortem through the anatomical institute provides a unique opportunity to directly assess cross-species differences, inter-individual variability, and pathological alterations in human neuronal structures. The system will be integrated into multimodal workflows combining advanced light, Raman, and electron microscopy, functional recordings, and tissue preservation methods such as high-pressure freezing (HPF). Positioning the HPF device in proximity to the surgery rooms is envisioned for the unique possibility of cryofixation of human cortical tissue directly after surgery with minimal transfer time. This combination of FIB-SEM with HPF will support both experimental and translational neuroscience projects that require detailed volumetric reconstructions of defined neuronal, glial, and vascular compartments under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The instrumentation will be embedded within a multidisciplinary team of neuroscientists, surgeons, physicists, and related fields. In addition to FIB-SEM tomography, the instrument will be equipped for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM-in-SEM) and array tomography. These complementary modes increase methodological flexibility, enable high-throughput analysis, and support a broad spectrum of imaging and sample preparation strategies. The instrument will be embedded in an existing imaging core facility (EMCore) that is an acknowledged Shared Facility of the Faculty of Medicine since 01.01.2024 and made available for collaborative use in neuroscience, cell biology, and biomedicine.
DFG Programme
Major Research Instrumentation
Major Instrumentation
Rasterelektronenmikroskop mit fokussiertem Ionenstrahl (FIB-SEM)
Instrumentation Group
5120 Rasterelektronenmikroskope (REM)
Applicant Institution
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
