The primary mission of the Electron Microscopy Center is to provide analytical microscopy and imaging support to researchers. EM Center staff provide research support by designing experimental approaches to suit the investigators' needs. Staff also provide training for the use of any center equipment. 

The EM Center also offers imaging and analytical support for local, regional, and national industrial community. The Center's personnel, student trainees, and instrumentation are available to assist industrial clients with research and quality control analysis.

The Electron Microscopy Center is operated on a cost-recovery basis and fees are accessed for consumables, equipment use, and staff support. The major shared instruments in the EM Center include an Hitachi HT7800 transmission electron microscope, a Zeiss Genimi500 Thermal Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, and a Tescan Vega3 SBU variable pressure scanning electron microscope with an Thermo Scientific EDS system. The ancillary equipment include ultramicrotomes, rotary microtomes, sputter coater, critical point dryer, and carbon evaporator.

The Electron Microscopy Center is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. 

It is closed on all major holidays. Equipment reservations and service requests should be placed through the EM Center's iLab page. Most of the major equipment is available for use after hours. However, after hours users must be approved by the EM Center staff before after hours access is granted. University of South Carolina faculty members must be responsible for their staff and students who use the facility and any costs incurred.

EM Center Users - Please use the following format in your manuscripts, meeting presentations, and proposals to acknowledge the USC EM Center.

"The author(s) would like to acknowledge the University of South Carolina Electron Microscopy Center for instrument use, scientific and technical assistance. RRID SCR_026179"

• All new users must make an appointment to go through instrument training from EM Center staff. EM Center users are not authorized to train fellow group members.
• If in doubt about using any equipment or chemical please ask the EM Center staff. Any mistake on your part could put you and others at great risk. Proper chemical handling is expected from all users.
• Do not insert any hazardous materials/specimens inside EM Center microscopes.
• Closed toed foot wear is mandatory for all lab users.
• All hazardous chemicals must be used in the hood and hazardous chemical wastes should be disposed off in their respective waste containers stored under the hood in the waste area.
• In case of a spill it is very important that you immediately inform the EM Center staff. The staff will help you clean up the spill in an efficient and safe way.
• Sharpies, rubber bulbs, glass rods and other miscellaneous material present in the hood stay in the hood. They are not to be moved out of the hood under any circumstances. These materials may be contaminated with fixatives.
• Users are requested to keep their appointments and clean up after they use this facility.
• If you are the last user of the day, please turn off the microscope high voltage and beam and close the center door behind you.

All EM Center users must save and transfer data and images from the local computer to a cloud storage of their choice after each microscope session.

The University of South Carolina provides Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage for all students, faculty and staff. Alternatively, the primary investigators can set up a Microsoft TEAM account for their research group members to store images and data generated from EM Center microscopes.