Cryogenic-sample electron Microscopy

CryoEM is used to create high-resolution, 3D models of biological materials too small to be seen in an optical microscope.

Cryo

Meet cryoEM Scientific Director

Dr. Hafenstein, PhD, joined The Hormel Institute as the cryoEM Director in 2023. Her research focuses on understanding the structure and functions of viruses, specifically host-virus interactions that facilitate viral entry into cells. She is an expert in cryoEM, utilizing local reconstruction approaches to solve atomic resolution maps of viruses like HPV, murine papillomavirus, polyomavirus and Zika virus.