The Netherlands Centre for Electron Nanoscopy at Leiden University is the open access facility for cryo-EM in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands Centre for Electron Nanoscopy (NeCEN) is the Netherlands' national facility for high-end cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) for biological and biomedical research. Since 2026, NeCEN operates at two locations, at Leiden University and Utrecht University.
NeCEN, provides access to state-of-the-art cryo-EM equipment and expertise. The facility enables researchers to study proteins, macromolecular complexes, viruses, bacteria and cellular structures in three dimensions and at very high resolution. This provides insights into fundamental biological processes, disease mechanisms and the development of new medicines.
Researchers from academic institutions, research institutes and companies can apply for access to NeCEN. The facility provides expert support throughout the cryo-EM & cryo-ET workflow, including sample preparation, data collection, image processing and training.
NeCEN is currently available for remote access, as well as physical visits by scientists from EU countries, Schengen countries, UK, and select other countries but availability can be limited. Please check possibilities with a Centre representative. Receiving international visitors from other countries is currently not possible due to COVID-19 restrictions. For information on the availability of specific technologies, view the Technology Availability List or contact support@instruct-eric.eu. Please check here regularly for updates.
How to find us
See the NeCEN website for detailed contact information.
NeCEN is an open access facility for high resolution cryo-electron microscopy of biological samples. A state-of-the-art Titan Krios transmission electron microscope allows efficient and automated high resolution data collection in its two most broadly used forms, single particle analysis (SPA) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). These imaging techniques allow visualisation of biomolecular structures, such as proteins, macromolecular complexes, bacteria, and cell organelles at subnanometer resolution in close-to-native conditions. The facility is equipped with a BSL2 lab and microscope rooms.
View All Electron Microscopy at Instruct
