Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis - CEMAS

At CEMAS, researchers use advanced electron microscopy to improve high-temperature materials such as Inconel 718, which faces limits at elevated temperatures due to phase instability.

In this study, researchers from Ohio State added tiny oxide particles (yttria) to the material during the additive manufacturing process and then used CEMAS’ multi-scale, multi-modal electron microscopy capabilities to closely examine the results.

The added particles integrated into the material without disrupting its overall structure and naturally settled along key internal features. While high-temperature strength showed only a slight improvement, the main finding is that the material's ductility at elevated temperatures increased significantly.

This directly addresses the intermediate-temperature embrittlement commonly observed in additively manufactured Inconel 718, suggesting a promising pathway to improve performance in demanding applications.

This research showcases how CEMAS’ advanced microscopy infrastructure empowers scientists to link processing, structure and properties at the nanoscale, driving innovation in additive manufacturing and the design of next-generation materials.

Microstructural Evolution and Strength of 3D Printed and Directly Aged ODS-Strengthened Inconel718 - Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A The high-temperature capability of Inconel718 is limited by the coarsening and dissolution of its primary strengthening phase, the γ′′ precipitates. To enhance its performance, this study introduces oxide-dispersion strengthening (ODS) particles by coating alloy powder with nanoscale yttria via...

A recent study from The Ohio State University is the first to describe how a specific protein orchestrates the step-by-step assembly of the molecular complex that performs the regulatory job.

By leveraging the advanced cryo-EM microscopy tools and expertise available through CEMAS, researchers visualized the assembly of a key molecular complex involved in gene regulation, revealing details that had long remained hidden within the cell. This work brings new clarity to one of biology’s enduring “black boxes,” revealing how cells precisely control gene activation at the molecular level.

Discoveries like this reflect CEMAS's role in the research ecosystem by providing access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and supporting collaborations that turn complex data into meaningful insights.

Unsealing cells’ ‘black box’ strategy to regulate gene activation While scientists have known for over two decades that all cells use a strategy called RNA interference to regulate gene expression, a new study is the first to describe how a specific protein manages the step-by-step process of assembling the molecular complex that performs the regulatory job. Amon...

Ohio State researchers have taken some of the most detailed snapshots to date of a DNA repair protein crucial to cancers caused by BRCA mutations. Leveraging state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy at CEMAS, they uncovered the mechanism by which this protein recognizes and repairs damaged DNA.

By clarifying how this repair pathway works, the research provides a foundation for designing drugs that selectively block DNA repair in BRCA‑mutated cancer cells, potentially leading to more targeted and effective cancer therapies.

These findings were made possible by cutting-edge cryo-EM capabilities at CEMAS, which enable scientists to visualize molecular machines at near‑atomic resolution.

Best snapshots yet of DNA repair protein relevant to BRCA mutations Scientists have captured the most detailed structural images to date of a specific type of protein’s DNA repair process, a finding that could reveal ways to inhibit the effects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that heighten the risk for breast, ovarian and other cancers. Previous research has shown t...

CEMAS recently welcomed Krishna Chinthalapudi, Associate Professor of Physiology and Cell Biology, as Associate Director of Biological Sciences!

This new strategic role supports the growing demand for advanced biological imaging and cryo‑EM, strengthening collaboration across engineering, medicine and life sciences. Dr. Chinthalapudi will help guide research priorities, strategic planning, major instrumentation and grant initiatives.

Read more:

CEMAS appoints Associate Director of Biological Sciences Professor Krishna Chinthalapudi steps into strategic advisory role

New insight from CEMAS 🔬

Using HRSTEM HAADF imaging, researchers can see the nucleation of a complex carbide within a microtwin in the fcc matrix of an additively manufactured Ni‑based superalloy. Postdoc Andreas Bezold was able to capture this image on CEMAS' Themis Z S/TEM.

Congratulations to this Ohio State research team on their recent publication in Nature Communications, which reveals new structural and functional insights into the cardiac sodium channel Nav1.5 using state‑of‑the‑art cryo‑electron microscopy and computational techniques. The insights provide important implications for cardiac arrhythmias and therapeutic targeting.

CEMAS supported this work by providing advanced cryo-electron microscopy capabilities. Publications like this underscore the value of collaboration in enabling high‑impact, interdisciplinary science and advancing discoveries that improve human health.

Read the full article:

Structural and functional mechanisms underlying activation gate dynamics and IFM motif accessibility in human Nav1.5 - Nature Communications Cardiac rhythm depends on tightly regulated sodium channel gating. Here, the authors determine the structure of human Nav1.5 in an intermediate open state and show how specific N-terminal interactions and ion binding near the IFM motif together regulate fast inactivation.