Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director awarded UCLA a $1,995,285 Project Grant (CFDA 93.351, Research Infrastructure Programs) on July 15, 2026, for the acquisition and installation of an Aquilos 2 cryogenic focused ion beam (cryoFIB) instrument at the Electron Imaging Center for Nanosystems (EICN). The instrument will enable precise preparation of cryogenic lamellae (thin sections of biological samples measuring 200 nanometers or less) from cells and tissues, which are essential for conducting in situ structural studies using cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET). This capability directly addresses a critical gap in EICN's current infrastructure, as existing cells and tissues exceeding 1 micrometer in thickness are too dense for electron penetration without such milling capabilities.

The grant will support biomedical research across 38 user laboratories (including 26 major users) within UCLA's extensive EICN user community, enabling atomic-level structural analysis of biological complexes within their native cellular and tissue environments. The cryoFIB instrument complements UCLA's existing state-of-the-art cryogenic electron microscopy infrastructure, including Titan Krios instruments, and extends capabilities for NIH-supported structural biology research. The award period runs through July 14, 2027, with the funding directed to the University of California, Los Angeles Office of Research Administration in Los Angeles, California.