On the morning of October 18th, 2024, Professor Henning Stahlberg, who serves as a Professor and Director of the C-CINA (Center for Electron Microscopy) at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Switzerland, and a Professor at both the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Lausanne, delivered an academic lecture titled "Understanding Neurodegeneration Using Cryo-Electron Microscopy, 4D-STEM, and Ptychography" at the A7 Shahe Garden of the Lihu Campus, Shenzhen University. He was invited by Professor Li Sisi from the Medical Department of Shenzhen University.

During the lecture, Professor Henning Stahlberg discussed the technology of cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (Cryo-ET), which is an efficient method for analyzing the structures of proteins or tissue sections in frozen hydrated samples. Professor Stahlberg and his team used Cryo-EM to capture images of cryo-fibrils prepared from human α-synuclein variants using cryo-electron microscopy, revealing a three-dimensional structural model of α-synuclein fibrils. They discovered that common disease-associated mutations in α-synuclein disrupt the stability of these helical structures, challenging traditional theories on the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis and suggesting that other types of fibrils or protein forms may play a role in triggering the disease.

Currently, Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET technologies face limitations due to low signal-to-noise ratios. Diffraction imaging techniques can enhance the contrast in Cryo-EM. Professor Stahlberg and his team, using a Titan Krios microscope equipped with aberration correction, developed a 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) method combined with ptychography data processing. This 4D-STEM method significantly improves the contrast of Cryo-EM images. Additionally, Professor Stahlberg presented recent research findings on reducing electron beam damage using single-electron exposure techniques. Following the presentation, he provided detailed answers to questions from faculty and students, receiving enthusiastic responses from the attendees.

Profile of the Guest Speaker

Professor Henning Stahlberg obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in 1997. From 2003 to 2010, he served as an Assistant Professor and later as an Associate Professor at the University of California, Davis. Since 2009, he has been a Professor and Director of the C-CINA (Center for Electron Microscopy) at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel in Switzerland. Currently, Professor Stahlberg holds professorships at both EPFL and the University of Lausanne. He has received numerous international awards, including Honorary Membership of the Swiss Nanoscience Institute, the Chancellor's Research Award from the University of California, Davis, the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, and the W.M. Keck Foundation Award.

Professor Stahlberg’s research is primarily focuses on advancing electron microscopy techniques. His team successfully implemented 4D-STEM technology on a prototype of the TFS Titan Krios electron microscope, combined with ptychography data processing, to achieve high-throughput capabilities. This microscope is equipped with a probe aberration corrector and a high-speed Dectris Arina camera capable of capturing 120,000 frames per second. Compared to traditional cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), 4D-STEM ptychography significantly enhances contrast, enabling high-resolution reconstruction of single particles and tissue sections. His team has applied this technology to study human brain tissue in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, uncovering new mechanisms associated with α-synuclein aggregates.