Thomas is currently working to develop a cryo-super-resolution microscope, using solid immersion lenses, to enable STORM imaging of cryogenically frozen samples. The microscope is being developed as part of a workflow to provide Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy at cryogenic temperatures (cryo-CLEM). This technique will bring together the benefits of the unmatched structural preservation of cryo-fixation, the chemical and functional selectivity of fluorescence microscopy, and the high-resolution structural information provided by transmission electron microscopy to provide researchers with unprecedented insight into the structure-function relationship of proteins in cell membranes.
Thomas Dzelzainis
Senior Scientist
Thomas studied Physics as an undergraduate at Imperial College London, and went on to do a PhD and subsequent postdocs in Laser-Plasma Interactions at Queen’s University Belfast. During this time, he was a frequent user of the CLF’s high power laser facilities. After a short time working in industry, he took a position in the University of Toronto working on a project developing surgical methods using burst-mode laser ablation, which sparked his interest in the application of lasers to biological research. He returned to the UK in 2019 and joined the CLF high power laser division as a link scientist on the Gemini laser system. He took the opportunity to move to the Octopus group in 2023 to pursue his growing interest in the biological applications of light.