Building the first cryo-EM facility in South Texas

I hail from Beijing where I received my Ph.D. in cryo-electron microscopy. After a postdoc at Florida State University, I came to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in late December 2021.

Lijia Jia worked with an engineer from ThermoFisher to assemble a $3 million microscope.

I serve as a research assistant professor and manager of the UTHSCSA cryo-EM facility. It is the first such facility in South Texas, and I have been involved in building it from the ground up.  In early 2022, I assembled the $3 million microscope together with the field engineer from Thermo Fisher and set up the computing infrastructure needed to operate the microscope and process data. I have been the liaison between the Thermo Fisher and UTHSCSA facilities teams during set-up and troubleshooting. The cryo-EM facility was slated to go online in May 2022  to members of the broader UTHSCSA community. I am assisting investigators with sample preparation and data collection; I consult with them regarding data processing and assist with training.  I will also be responsible for day-to-day operations and maintenance of the microscope.

Besides my day-to-day research work, since moving here I have been discovering San Antonio, a vibrant city with notable attractions including the Alamo, the River Walk and the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. My favorite of these is the River Walk, built along the San Antonio River and surrounded by green trees and flowers. I like to stroll along the walkway with my friends and enjoy the magnificent river views and beautiful architecture. There are also many restaurants, cafes, bars and shops along the river that I can enjoy dining, drinking and shopping; all in this one area. It is really a perfect place to relax and enjoy your life.