The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $350,000 Project Grant under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to The Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University) to develop and share cryogenic preservation and nanoscale imaging procedures for volume electron microscopy (VEM) of plant tissues. The overarching goal is to enable the observation of plant cell structures and organelles in their native, untreated state, which could lead to a paradigm shift in understanding how macromolecular complexes and cell compartments coordinate to create life. This 3-year project, running from February 2025 to January 2028, will produce datasets, protocols, and analytical pipelines to be made publicly available. The research will also provide training opportunities for early career scientists in cutting-edge plant structural biology techniques.
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