The Hormel Institute Cryo-EM Facility
University of Minnesota (Hormel Institute)
📍 AUSTIN, MN · Website ↗
The Hormel Institute, a University of Minnesota research institute in Austin, Minnesota (not Minneapolis), operates a cryoEM and cryoET facility directed by Susan Hafenstein. It runs a 300 kV Titan Krios G2 with Gatan K3 and BioContinuum filter, a Titan Krios 5 with cold FEG, Falcon 4i and Selectris X (installation in progress), a Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTWIN, and an Arctis cryo-plasma FIB/SEM that arrived in August 2024, plus Vitrobot, high-pressure freezing and cryo-ultramicrotomy. It is the core of the planned Minnesota Bioimaging Center.
Equipment Inventory(10 instruments)
Roster verified against the facility's own published instrument list, September 2026.
Arctis
Thermo Fisher Scientific · Cryo-FIB Milling
Leica EM ACE600
Leica Microsystems · Coater
Pelco easiGlow
Ted Pella · Glow Discharge
Leica EM UC7/FC7
Leica Microsystems · Cryo-Ultramicrotome
Leica EM ICE
Leica
Gatan CP3
Gatan · Vitrification
Vitrobot Mark IV
Thermo Fisher Scientific · Vitrification
Krios 5
Thermo Fisher Scientific · Single Particle / Tomography
Tecnai T12
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Titan Krios G2
Thermo Fisher Scientific · Single Particle / Tomography
Published Rates
As published by the facility, retrieved Aug 10, 2026 · source. Rates change; confirm with the facility before budgeting.
| Service | Rate | Applies to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff time (hourly) | $42 | external | — |
| Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTwin (hourly) | $37 | external | external academic |
| Titan Krios (hourly) | $47 | external | external academic |
| Vitrobot Mark IV (hourly) | $25 | external | — |
| Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTwin (hourly) | $100 | industry | — |
| Titan Krios (hourly) | $245 | industry | — |
| Staff time (hourly) | $22 | internal | — |
| Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTwin (hourly) | $26 | internal | internal academic |
| Titan Krios (hourly) | $30 | internal | internal academic |
| Vitrobot Mark IV (hourly) | $10 | internal | — |