--- title: cryoDuck Tokyo Days 2026 description: Join cryoDuck Tokyo Days 2026 — a focused cryo-EM meeting on automation, resolution, throughput, and drug discovery applications. image: https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/Tokyo%20Preview.png --- [Skip to content](https://cryoduck.com/tokyo-days-2026#main-content) [![cryoDuck Logo](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Home/horizontal%20light%20bg.png?width=300&height=66&name=horizontal%20light%20bg.png)](https://cryoduck.com?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://cryoduck.com/) - [About](https://cryoduck.com/about) - [Blog](https://cryoduck.com/blog) - [Newsletter](https://cryoduck.com/newsletter) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Home](https://cryoduck.com/) - [About](https://cryoduck.com/about) - [Blog](https://cryoduck.com/blog) - [Newsletter](https://cryoduck.com/newsletter) - [Contact us](https://cryoduck.com/contact) [Contact us](https://cryoduck.com/contact?hsLang=en) # cryoDuck Tokyo Days 2026 Tokyo | May 11–13, 2026 Shaping the future of academic and industrial cryo-EM facilities — advancing resolution, throughput, automation, and new applications. [Register](https://cryoduck.com/tokyo-days-2026#registration) ## About the Conference **cryoDuck Tokyo Days 2026** is a focused international meeting that will bring together cryo-EM facility managers, industry practitioners, and method developers to shape the next generation of cryo-EM with a particular emphasis on empowering drug discovery. Over three days, participants will examine the complete workflow from sample preparation and imaging to data processing and applications through symposium talks, roundtable discussions, and site visits. The program will highlight innovations for advancing resolution, increasing throughput, driving automation, and reducing the time and cost to structure. A central theme is accessibility: how facilities can train more users, serve broader research communities, and scale capacity through new technologies and approaches. Sessions will also explore sample preparation, cryo-ET and emerging use cases in drug discovery. Visits to **KEK’s cryo-EM and synchrotron facilities** and the **JEOL demo center** will provide unique perspectives on infrastructure and innovation. By bringing the community together, cryoDuck Tokyo Days 2026 will sketch the future of cryo-EM facilities and their expanding role in both drug discovery and fundamental research. ## Confirmed Speakers & Topics - **Toshiya Senda (KEK)** – *Building a Cryo-EM Facility with a Synchrotron Mindset* - **Toshio Moriya (KEK)** – *Cloud Solutions for Training Large User Communities and Enabling Compound Screening* - **Robert Englmeier (CryoCloud)** *– Scalable and Automated Cryo-EM using Cloud for High-Throughput Analysis* - **Satomi Inaba-Inoue (KEK)** *– Cryo-EM Facility Perspectives from Staff, Users, and User Group Organiser* - **Paolo Swuec (Human Technopole)** *–* Bridging Methods — Integrative Workflows to Accelerate Cryo-EM Structure Determination - **NEW: Fabian Eisenstein (Dectris)** *– Making your processing workflows reproducible and sharable* - **Jonathan Bouvette (Princeton University)** – *Fully Automated Data Collection with SmartScope* - ***Colin Gauvin (Superluminal Medicines)** – Automated SmartScope Data Collection for GPCR Structure Determination* - **NEW: Daniel Bollschweiler (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry)** *– Outside the Walled Garden: Robust High-Throughput Workflows for Cryo-EM using SerialEM & SmartScope* - **Radostin Danev (University of Tokyo)** – *Narrow-Gap Optics Pushing the Limits of Cryo-EM at 200 kV* - **NEW: Fumiaki Makino (JEOL)** *– Advancing Multi-Grid Operation with SerialEM and CRYO ARM 300 and High-Throughput Exploration Using Apollo* - **NEW: Nadav Elad (Weizmann Institute)** *– DIY FFI - setting up fringe-free imaging on 3 and 2-condenser lens EMs for more efficient SPA* - **Ulrich Lorenz (EPFL Lausanne)** *- A Modified Vitrobot Platform Enabling Jet Vitrification of Clipped Grids for Time-Resolved Studies* - **Venkata Dandey (NIH)** *- VitriFlex: Modular, and Customizable Robotic Platform for Cryo-EM Grid Preparation* - **NEW: Jason van Rooyen (Diamond Light Source)** *- Automating sample handling and storage for cryo-EM: a synchrotron engineering perspective on narrowing the gap with MX beamlines* - **NEW:  Noriaki Mizuno (JEOL)** *– A Stable and Integrated Workflow for CryoET Sample Preparation: CryoLameller Approach* - **Berk Kucukoglu (Dectris)** *- Phase Contrast 4D-STEM Tomography of Thick Biological Specimens* - **Christoph Wigge (Resolution Rebels)** – *Sample Preparation Innovations for Single-Particle Analysis and Electron tomography* - **Takeshi Murata (Chiba University)** *- Visualizing Off-Target Pharmacology in hERG and Pgp* - **Bilal Qureshi (ETH Zürich)** *- Applications of Cryo-EM in Immunology and Vaccine Development* - **Yifan Hu (Biortus)** *- An Accelerated, High-Resolution Gene-to-Structure Determination Pipeline for Drug Discovery* - **Mathieu Botte (LeadXPro)** *- Innovative Cryo-EM Structural Screening for Early Drug Discovery* - **Sarah Harper (JEOL)** *- Driving Performance and Cost-Efficiency of Cryo-EM for Structure-Based Drug Design* - ***NEW:*** **Katherine Lau (Delmic)***- Advanced Cryo-Electron Tomography Workflow for Drug Discovery and Biological Research* - **NEW: Xiaorun Li (Viva Biotech)** *- Illuminating the Invisible: Cryo-EM’s Journey into SBDD and the Road Ahead* - **NEW: Joshua Hardy (WEHI)** - *ProteinDJ: a high-performance and modular protein binder design pipeline* - **NEW: Andrew Borst (University of Washington)** - *Electron Microscopy in the Era of Protein Design: Scaling High-Throughput Training and Structural Characterization* ## Abstracts closed! ## Call for Abstracts We welcome abstracts for short talks from facility managers, industrial users, and method developers who are advancing the future of cryo-EM. Submissions that highlight innovations with impact on drug discovery and translational research are particularly encouraged. **Topics of interest include:** - Advances or automation in sample preparation, imaging, and processing - Success stories and solutions for overcoming challenges in cryo-EM–enabled drug discovery - Advances in emerging applications, including electron tomography (ET) and new uses of cryo-EM in drug discovery - Best practices for optimizing shared facility usage, scheduling, and access to high-demand instrumentation - Career pathways in cryo-EM across technical, facility, industrial, and academic roles Date: May 11-13, 2026 Early bird: Until Dec 31, 2025 Site visits: KEK (Day 1); JEOL (Day 2) Venue: Central Tokyo near Tokyo station (day 3) Status: Few spots left / abstracts closed Please contact us for registration and sponsorship options. [Contact](https://cryoduck.com/tokyo-days-2026#registration) Kindly supported by [![jeol](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/jeol.jpeg "jeol")](https://www.jeol.com/products/scientific/tem/JEM-3300.php) Setting new performance benchmarks in cryo-TEM & cryo-FIB-SEM [![BIORTUS-P](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/BIORTUS-P.png "BIORTUS-P")](https://www.biortus.bio/) Protein Focused Services for Drug Discovery [![CryoCloud_bluefont](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/CryoCloud_bluefont.svg "CryoCloud_bluefont")](https://www.cryocloud.io) Making cryo-EM fast and simple [![DECTRIS logo_with tagline](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DECTRIS%20logo_with%20tagline.jpg?width=2000&height=731&name=DECTRIS%20logo_with%20tagline.jpg "DECTRIS logo_with tagline")](https://www.dectris.com/en/) [![2025_leadXpro_Logo](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2025_leadXpro_Logo.png?width=1024&height=198&name=2025_leadXpro_Logo.png "2025_leadXpro_Logo")](https://leadxpro.com) Unlocking membrane proteins for drug discovery [![Delmic_Black+Blue(preferred)@2x-80](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/Delmic_Black+Blue(preferred)@2x-80.jpg "Delmic_Black+Blue(preferred)@2x-80")](https://www.delmic.com) Break the barrier of R&D [![Viva Biotech Logo](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Viva%20Biotech%20Logo.png?width=2000&height=631&name=Viva%20Biotech%20Logo.png "Viva Biotech Logo")](https://www.vivabiotech.com/) World Leading One-stop Platform from SBDD to Commercial Manufacturing [![Screenshot 2026-02-20 at 5.03.39 PM](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-02-20%20at%205.03.39%20PM.png "Screenshot 2026-02-20 at 5.03.39 PM")](https://sshexa.com/hexarobotics) Automated Sample Preparation Redefined [![Black&Red png Nov15](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Black%26Red%20png%20Nov15.png?width=2000&height=376&name=Black%26Red%20png%20Nov15.png "Black&Red png Nov15")](https://www.siriusxt.com) Soft X-ray: Bridging scales in Biological Imaging [![Gatan_AMETEK_Logo_Lockup](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Gatan_AMETEK_Logo_Lockup.png?width=1000&height=485&name=Gatan_AMETEK_Logo_Lockup.png "Gatan_AMETEK_Logo_Lockup")](https://www.gatan.com/techniques/cryo-em) Observe biological specimens in their native environment at cryo-temperatures. [![Resolution Rebels - Logo](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/Resolution%20Rebels%20-%20Logo.png "Resolution Rebels - Logo")](https://www.instagram.com/resolutionrebels/) Perfectly Unaligned Cryo-EM [![NanoSoft Text Logo outline](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/NanoSoft%20Text%20Logo%20outline.svg "NanoSoft Text Logo outline")](https://www.nanosoftmaterials.com) [![mitegen-logo](https://cryoduck.com/hubfs/mitegen-logo.webp "mitegen-logo")](https://mitegen.com) Innovation in Crystallography & Cryo-EM Program snapshot ## Day 1 (May 11) Venue: KEK in Tsukuba •*Bus transfer from Tokyo Station* *• Tours of KEK cryo-EM & synchrotron facilities* *• Symposium & roundtable: processing and cloud solutions* *• Focus: automated reconstructions, faster to structure for drug discovery* SPA Processing & Cloud The meeting begins with a **bus transfer from Tokyo Station to KEK**, where participants will tour KEK’s cryo-EM and synchrotron facilities. This visit highlights the idea of approaching cryo-EM with a **synchrotron mindset**, focusing on scaling access and building national-level infrastructure. The scientific program features **symposium talks and a roundtable discussion** on cryo-EM data processing and cloud-based solutions. Topics will include automated reconstruction pipelines, high-throughput workflows, and strategies for getting **faster to more and better structures** with an emphasis on enabling **drug discovery applications**. ## Day 2 (May 12) Venues: JEOL Demo Facility in Akishima *• Visit to JEOL Demo Facility for talks and tours (Akishima)* *•  Highlights: cryoARM narrow-gap pole piece, SmartScope automation* Supreme Optics & Automated Data Collection Our second day begins with a bus transfer from **Tokyo Station to JEOL Demo Facility in Akishima** with symposium talks and roundtable discussions on microscope optics and automated imaging. Sessions will focus on improving resolution, throughput, ease of use, and the cost of data collection. Highlights include demonstrations of the CRYO **ARM narrow-gap pole piece**, which brings high-end resolution to intermediate-range microscopes, and **full automation with SmartScope**, showcasing how automation enables reliable, high-throughput data collection at scale. In the afternoon, participants will travel tour the demo facility for an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit.   ## Day 3 (May 13) Venue: Tokyo Station • *Focus on industrializing sample prep, cryo-ET, and drug discovery applications • Community roundtable discussion • Conference dinner*   Sample Preparation, cryo-ET, and Emerging Applications Our last day takes place at the **Tokyo Station**. The program focuses on **industrializing sample preparation**, advancing **cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET)**, and exploring **emerging applications of cryo-EM in drug discovery**. Sessions will feature symposium talks and discussions on workflows that increase robustness, scalability, and impact across both academic and industrial settings. The day will conclude with a **community roundtable** to capture feedback and priorities for the future of cryo-EM facilities, followed by a **conference dinner** to close the meeting.       ## Transportation & Accomodation The registration fee includes coffee breaks, lunch, light snacks, use of conference facilities at Tokyo Station, and bus transfers to KEK (Day 1) and JEOL (Day 2). Accommodation, travel to and from Tokyo, and the optional Conference Social Evening (dinner and entertainment) are not included in the registration fee and should be arranged independently.    ## Recommended Hotels - Mitsui Garden Hotel (Closest) - [https://www.gardenhotels.co.jp/kyobashi/eng/ ](https://www.gardenhotels.co.jp/kyobashi/eng/) - Karaksa hotel colors Tokyo Yaesu (Closest) - [https://karaksahotels.com/tokyoyaesu/](https://karaksahotels.com/tokyoyaesu/) - Shangri-La Tokyo - [https://www.shangri-la.com/jp/tokyo/shangrila/ ](https://www.shangri-la.com/jp/tokyo/shangrila/) - Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi - [https://www.fourseasons.com/jp/tokyo/ ](https://www.fourseasons.com/jp/tokyo/) - The Tokyo Station Hotel - [https://www.tokyostationhotel.jp/ ](https://www.tokyostationhotel.jp/) - Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Station - [https://www.marriott.co.jp/hotels/travel/tyogz-courtyard-tokyo-station/ ](https://www.marriott.co.jp/hotels/travel/tyogz-courtyard-tokyo-station/)   ## Registration fees Attending the **Day 1 symposium at KEK** is free for local scientists, but places are limited. Please contact the organizers to secure a spot. **Full Conference Registration** Includes access to all sessions, site visits and light catering during the day. *Conference dinner requires separate registration.* **PIs / Facility Managers (Academia)** - Early Bird (until Dec 31, 2025): **USD 400** - Regular (after Dec 31, 2025): **USD 600** **Industry** - Early Bird (until Dec 31, 2025): **USD 700** - Regular (after Dec 31, 2025): **USD 900** **Students / Postdocs** - Early Bird (until Dec 31, 2025): **USD 300** - Regular (after Dec 31, 2025): **USD 400** Conference Social Night in Tokyo - Optional add-on: **USD 75** (includes dinner, drinks, and entertainment)   ## Registration & Enquiries This form can be used for registration, abstract submission, sponsorship interest, and general enquiries. # Stay connected: Follow and engage with us Contact form or email Get in touch with us by completing the [contact form](https://cryoduck.com/contact?hsLang=en) on our website or simply send us an email. ![Email](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Email.png?width=980&height=67&name=Email.png)   Bi-monthly newsletter Subscribe to our [bi-monthly newsletter](https://cryoduck.com/newsletter?hsLang=en) to receive a summary of recent developments and highlights. The cryoDuck Blog Follow [the cryoDuck Blog](https://cryoduck.com/the-cryoduck-blog?hsLang=en) for commentary on everything related to cryo-EM in drug discovery. LinkedIn group: Cryo-EM in pharma and biotech Join our [LinkedIn group community](https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8888430/) to network with industry professionals and engage in discussions pertaining to cryo-EM in industry.  LinkedIn company page Follow our [LinkedIn company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/94199435/)  for company updates and latest contents. [![cryoDuck Logo](https://cryoduck.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Home/horizontal%20light%20bg.png?width=300&height=66&name=horizontal%20light%20bg.png "cryoDuck Logo")](https://cryoduck.com?hsLang=en) 5615EC 86, Netherlands --- [Contact](https://cryoduck.com/contact?hsLang=en) [Privacy and Cookies Policy](https://cryoduck.com/privacy-and-cookies-policies?hsLang=en) [Terms and Conditions](https://cryoduck.com/terms-and-conditions?hsLang=en) --- Copyright © 2026, cryoDuck B.V.