US CryoEM Center Merit Badges
Broadening access to high-resolution cryoEM for biomedical researchers and cultivating a skilled workforce.
What are cryoEM merit badges?
A merit badge qualifies a user for independent use of specified instrumentation and is cross-honored at the three US cryoEM service centers. These proficiency badges are awarded in three main skill areas:
- sample preparation
- microscope operations
- data processing
If you are not a center user, we hope the merit badge framework may still be useful by organizing cryoEM training materials into practical units relevant for specific steps of a cryoEM workflow.
What merit badges are available?
Available merit badges reflect current instrumentation and best practices at the US national cryoEM centers. Each badge has associated background reference material, a standard SOP agreed upon by the three national centers, a knowledge quiz to test familiarity with essential theoretical background and the SOP, and an independence test checklist to guide practical training and supervised practice. They are in constant revision and construction and may evolve over time (versions are dated to keep track). Currently available badges have colored buttons below that link to their individual pages. Badges still under construction will become available as they are completed. If you have particular requests for badges you would like to see expedited or that you don’t see here, let us know!
Sample Preparation
The start of a cryoEM project
Coming soon:
- Autoloaders (care & handling of tools/sample loading & recovery)
In the planning stage:
- Working with cryogens
- Negative staining
- Support films
- Chameleon
- Vitrojet
Microscope Operations
Microscope use and data collection
Coming soon:
- SerialEM for remote screening
In the planning stage:
- SerialEM for screening
- Leginon for screening
- EPU for screening
- SerialEM for data collection, levels I & II
- Leginon for data collection, levels I & II
- EPU for data collection, levels I & II
- Autoloader systems (inventory, TUI, etc.)
- Gatan direct electron devices (Use of the Gatan K3 summit or K3 detector and DM)
- TFS direct electron devices (Use of the Falcon3 or Falcon4 detector and TIA)
Data Pre-Processing
Feedback during data collection
In the planning stage:
- General pre-processing (Data management, using the linux command line, useful software)
- On-the-fly pre-processing (Getting feedback during your data collection)
How long is merit badge certification valid for?
Each merit badge has an expiration date to ensure a high level of proficiency is maintained. There is no one-time interval that fits each category. After a merit badge’s certification period elapses center staff will verify proficiency to renew the certification.
RECERTIFICATION PERIODS
Sample preparation:
- Room temperature work: ~1 year
- Cryogenic work: ~6 months
Microscope operations:
- General: ~3 months
- Direct detectors: ~6 months
- Side entry systems: ~3 months
- Autoloader systems: ~1 year
- Data collection programs: ~1 year
Processing:
- General ~1 year