What Electron Microscopy Sciences does

Electron Microscopy Sciences (EMS), founded in 1969 and headquartered in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, is a manufacturer and distributor of consumables, instruments, and specialty reagents for electron microscopy, light microscopy, histology, and materials science laboratories. EMS operates as a subsidiary of Biolyst Scientific, which appointed Jay Hexamer as CEO in April 2025. The company serves research laboratories, hospitals, clinical diagnostics facilities, universities, materials science labs, and forensics/QC operations worldwide, distributing through its emsdiasum.com e-commerce platform, toll-free phone ordering, and quote-based enterprise sales.

EMS's catalog spans 18+ product categories covering TEM, SEM, FIB, AFM, STM, cryo-EM, histology, materials science, and light microscopy workflows. Proprietary, in-house manufactured products include the Prepmaster™ 5100 automated specimen preparation robot (capable of processing up to 96 specimens in two hours with 97% less hands-on time), C-flat™ holey carbon TEM grids, HexAuFoil® and UltrAuFoil® gold cryo-EM supports, the K-kit liquid TEM system, FlowVIEW Aquarius liquid SEM kit, NanoSuit® aqueous SEM solution, EMS Poly III embedding instrument, and LYNX II automated tissue processor. The company also holds exclusive distribution rights for premium partner brands including Aurion ImmunoGold Reagents, DiATOME diamond knives, NIGHTSEA fluorescence viewing systems, Ideal-tek and Dumont precision tweezers, Quantifoil cryo-EM grids, and various filaments and cathodes.

The business model combines a high-volume recurring consumables stream (TEM grids, SEM supplies, chemicals, stains, embedding media) with lower-volume but higher-value capital equipment sales (Prepmaster, cryo-SEM systems, tissue processors), supplemented by equipment repair services, custom contract services, and training revenue from the EMS Microscopy Academy in Hatfield, PA. Pricing is per-unit/per-pack for consumables and quote-based for instruments; long-term customer relationships are reinforced through educational webinars (the EMS | Quorum Webinar Series), trade show participation (M&M, Neuroscience, MRS Fall, Cell Bio), and a multi-tier catalog distribution system supporting global reach.

Name

Electron Microscopy Sciences

Legal name

Electron Microscopy Sciences

Website

https://emsdiasum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electron Microscopy Laboratory Supplies and Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065)

akta.pro primary industry

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)

Keywords

• Electron microscopy supplies
• Laboratory consumables
• Specimen preparation equipment
• Cryo-EM grids
• Histology reagents

Headquarters

HQ city

Hatfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Microscopy Consumables and Supplies: Sale of TEM grids, SEM supplies, specimen mounts, conductive adhesives, chemicals, stains, embedding media, and general lab consumables. These constitute the core recurring revenue stream, sold via e-commerce and phone orders with reorder patterns driven by lab consumption.
2. Laboratory Instruments and Equipment: Sale of major instruments including the Prepmaster™ 5100 specimen preparation robot, cryo-SEM preparation systems, sputter coaters, critical point dryers, glow discharge systems, freeze dryers, microtomes, and tissue processors. Typically quote-based pricing with multi-year product lifecycles.
3. Cryo-EM and Cryo Supplies: Specialized cryogenic products including cryo-EM grids, cryo vials and racks, cryo dewars, cryo-EM vitrification supplies, and cryo-personal protection equipment.
4. Diamond Knives and Precision Tools: Sale of DiATOME diamond knives for cryo-ultramicrotomy, histology, and electron microscopy, as well as Dumont and Ideal-tek tweezers and precision instruments.
5. Equipment Repair and Custom Services: EMS operates an Equipment Repair Center and offers custom and contract services, providing service revenue from existing customer base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Electron Microscopy Sciences manufactures and supplies chemicals, consumables, instruments, and equipment for electron microscopy and general laboratory research. Its core catalog spans TEM grids, SEM supplies, cryo-EM materials, diamond knives, automated specimen preparation systems, histology reagents, precision tweezers, and microscopy training programs sold to research, clinical, and educational laboratories worldwide.

Product overview

Electron Microscopy Sciences (EMS) is a comprehensive provider of microscopy laboratory supplies and equipment, operating as a multi-product platform with a broad catalog spanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM, FIB), light microscopy, and histology applications. The core product portfolio includes specimen preparation instruments (Prepmaster™ 5100 automated robot), consumable grids (C-flat™, Quantifoil®, UltrAuFoil®, HexAuFoil®), specialized kits (K-kit liquid TEM, FlowVIEW liquid SEM, NanoSuit), precision equipment (DiATOME diamond knives, GloQube® glow discharge systems, LYNX tissue processors), and specialty reagents (Aurion immunogold, Citifluor mounting media, UranyLess stains). The company also distributes partner brands including NIGHTSEA fluorescence systems and maintains its own EMS-branded line of tweezers and instruments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prepmaster™: Automated specimen preparation robot for electron microscopy
• EMS Tweezers
• EMS Poly III
• EMS 9000SMZ
• LYNX II
• MiniQS
• RotaQ & TurboQ

Products and services

• Prepmaster 5100 Specimen Preparation Robot Fully automated specimen preparation robot using advanced robotics and liquid handling to prepare biological specimens for TEM and SEM, processing up to 96 specimens in 2 hours with 97% less hands-on time versus manual processing. Includes free installation and an ROI calculator.
• C-flat Family of Holey Carbon Gold Grids Ultra-flat holey carbon-coated TEM support grids for transmission electron microscopy, manufactured in-house without plastics to eliminate residue issues, including Au-flat variants for high-resolution imaging.
• K-kit Wet Liquid TEM Kit Innovative enclosed specimen holder for liquid sample analysis in TEM featuring vacuum-compatible sealing, micro-reaction chamber capability, and two imaging modes (Wet Mode for 10-300nm particles, Thin Layer Mode for 3-2000nm particles). Compatible with most TEM holder brands.
• DiATOME Diamond Knives High-quality diamond knives for cryo-ultramicrotomy, light microscopy, histology, and electron microscopy at room and cryo temperatures, compatible with all ultramicrotomes. Distributed exclusively by EMS from DiATOME.
• FlowVIEW Aquarius Liquid SEM Starter Kit Liquid sample imaging system for SEM using ultra-thin adaptive chips and a microfluid environment controller with automated image analysis software for analyzing and monitoring coating materials and suspended particles in their original liquid form.
• NanoSuit Aqueous Solution for SEM Novel aqueous solution technology that enables SEM observation of cells, microorganisms, living tissue, and liposomes in their natural state without complex sample preparation.
• UltrAuFoil Gold Holey Films Ultrastable gold supports for cryo-EM that reduce the movement of frozen specimens during imaging, enabling higher quality cryo-EM data collection.
• HexAuFoil Ultra-Small Hole Gold Support Grids Revolutionary ultra-small hole gold support grid for cryo-electron microscopy designed to improve image quality and achieve higher data collection rates.
• LYNX II Automated Tissue Processor State-of-the-art automated tissue processor compatible with all plastic resins as well as paraffin waxes, with specifications and accessories for histology applications.
• PP3010 Cryo-SEM/Cryo-FIB/SEM Preparation System Complete cryo preparation system for SEM and FIB/SEM applications including QuickLok, SEMCool, and CoolLok Cryo Transfer Systems for cryogenic specimen handling.
• GloQube Plus Glow Discharge System Compact, easy-to-use glow discharge system for TEM grids and surface modification that produces quick, reliable results.
• EMS Poly III Automated Embedding and Polymerization Instrument Unique instrument for automating embedding and polymerization of specimens using precise control of pressure and temperature.
• Citifluor Antifadent Mounting Solutions Mountant media that reduces photobleaching of fluorescence of fluorochromes or fluorescent dyes used for labelling biological specimens; marketed through Citifluor as a division of Electron Microscopy Sciences.
• Aurion Immunogold Reagents Complete line of immunogold reagents and accessories for immuno labeling applications distributed exclusively by EMS, including ultra small immuno gold reagents, silver enhancement reagents, blocking solutions, and immunogold reagent kits.
• UranyLess EM Stain Ready-to-use, fast-acting, non-radioactive contrast stain solution for TEM that substitutes for uranyl acetate.
• NIGHTSEA Fluorescence Viewing Systems Stereo microscope fluorescence adapter that enables fluorescence viewing on virtually any stereo microscope without modification, with modular design for multiple excitation/emission combinations.
• Quantifoil Holey Carbon Films and Grids Holey carbon films and grids ideal for high-resolution cryo-EM data collection, available in various hole shapes and configurations, distributed from Quantifoil Micro Tools.
• Omniprobe Lift-Out Grids and Tools FIB lift-out grids including Omniprobe AutoProbe Lift-out Grids, Carb-N-Grids, and lamella carriers for FIB and TEM sample preparation.
• EMS Tweezers (Precision Instrument Line) Proprietary line of precision tweezers manufactured in Switzerland exclusively for Electron Microscopy Sciences, hand-selected by EMS experts for specific laboratory requirements.
• Custom and Contract Services EMS Custom & Contract Services program providing bulk chemicals, custom preparations, and contract services, supported by a dedicated Equipment Repair Center for maintenance and repair of microscopy instruments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prepmaster 5100 processes up to 8 kidney specimens in 45 minutes or 96 specimens in 2 hours
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Aurion (Exclusive Agent)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS serves as the exclusive agent and distributor of Aurion's complete line of ImmunoGold Reagents and Accessories in the markets EMS serves. Aurion is described as the leading manufacturer and developer of immuno-gold labeling products, with many unique products not available elsewhere. EMS distributes the full Aurion catalog including conventional immuno-gold reagents, ultra-small immuno-gold reagents, silver enhancement reagents, blocking solutions, and immunogold reagent kits.
• DiATOMEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS distributes the complete DiATOME collection of diamond knives, tools, and accessories for electron and light microscopy for biological and materials science applications at room and cryo temperatures. DiATOME is described as producing incomparable diamond knives compatible with all ultramicrotomes.
• NIGHTSEA (SFA Fluorescence Viewing Systems)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS distributes NIGHTSEA Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapters, which adapt almost any stereo microscope for fluorescence with no modification to the microscope itself. NIGHTSEA products include the SFA adapter and Xite Fluorescence Flashlight System. NIGHTSEA also operates as an independent brand with its own website.
• Quorum TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS partners with Quorum Technologies on the 'EMS | Quorum Webinar Series' — a collaborative educational webinar program for the microscopy community. Replays are hosted on EMS's YouTube channel.
• Quantifoil Micro ToolsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS distributes Quantifoil holey carbon films and grids, including Quantifoil R 5/20, Quantifoil SiO2 films, and Quantifoil grids for high-resolution cryo-EM data collection. EMS also manufactures its own C-flat products alongside Quantifoil.
• Applied Physics Technologies (APTI)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS distributes CeBix and LaB6 cathodes from Applied Physics Technologies, as well as LaB6 cathodes from Kimball Physics and Denka, alongside standard tungsten loop filaments. EMS also offers filament rebuilding services.
• Ideal-tekmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS is the proud distributor of Ideal-tek tweezers and precision instruments. Ideal-tek has been committed to quality since established in Switzerland in 1964 and is one of the world's leading manufacturers of precision hand tools and instruments.
• DumontmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS distributes Dumont tweezers — high-quality handmade tweezers developed in 1875 by Arnold Dumont in La Sagne, Switzerland. Only the highest quality steel is used. Products available through EMS Tweezers Catalog.
• Rubis (Swiss Personal Line of Tweezers)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS Swiss Personal Line of Tweezers from Rubis merges precision engineering with ultra-modern technology. Made in Switzerland exclusively for Electron Microscopy Sciences. Tweezers are hand-selected by EMS experts for specific requirements.
• Summers OpticalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS distributes Summers Optical products including a complete line of optical cements, adhesives, decementing agents, hardness testers, ultrasonic baths, and UV lights. Technical data and bonding manuals are available through the Summers Optical site.
• NegafileminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMS distributes Negafile wood filing systems and storage cases for grids, negatives, film, and microscope glass slides, along with full lines of shipping and packaging solutions for traditional and digital media.
• Citifluor (Division of Electron Microscopy Sciences)coreOthersCitifluor is a division of Electron Microscopy Sciences that has developed a range of antifadent mounting media which greatly reduce the fading of fluorescence of fluorochromes or fluorescent dyes used for labeling biological specimens. Marketed both under its own brand and through EMS catalogs.
• Biolyst Scientific (Parent Company)coreOthersElectron Microscopy Sciences is a subsidiary of Biolyst Scientific, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the life sciences and clinical laboratory markets. Biolyst Scientific appointed Jay Hexamer as CEO in April 2025 to lead the next phase of growth. EMS contact email is [email protected].

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SPI Supplies (Structure Probe): SPI Supplies is a direct competitor in electron microscopy consumables and specimen preparation chemicals, offering TEM/SEM supplies, calibration standards, and ultrapure reagents with overlapping customer segments in academic and industrial labs.
• Polysciences: Polysciences manufactures histology, electron microscopy, and life science specialty chemicals (embedding media, fixatives, acrylates), serving overlapping academic and clinical lab customers through a similar catalog and direct distribution model.
• Ted Pella: Ted Pella is a direct peer — a long-standing US-based manufacturer and supplier of consumables, specimen preparation supplies, and instruments for electron and light microscopy, overlapping with EMS across TEM grids, SEM supplies, and microscopy chemicals.

Broad incumbents

• Carl Zeiss Microscopy: ZEISS is a broad incumbent in light and electron microscopy instruments — a competitor for high-end EM applications and bundled service contracts that may displace third-party consumables suppliers.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher offers an integrated electron microscopy portfolio (microscopes, sample prep automation, proprietary consumables, services) — a broad incumbent competing with EMS's automation and consumables lines via bundled OEM offerings.
• Leica Microsystems (Danaher): Leica is a broad incumbent in light and electron microscopy sample preparation instruments (ultramicrotomes, tissue processors, EM sample prep systems) — competing with EMS's equipment business and bundling consumables with installed instruments.
• JEOL USA: JEOL is a major electron microscope manufacturer with its own TEM/SEM consumables and sample prep offerings — a broad incumbent whose installed base influences aftermarket purchasing decisions for EMS's competing supplies.

Emerging players

• Aurion ImmunoGold Reagents: Aurion is the principal immuno-gold labeling reagent supplier, distributed exclusively by EMS in EMS markets — partially overlapping as a niche specialist in EM immunolabeling consumables.
• Quantifoil Micro Tools: Quantifoil manufactures holey carbon cryo-EM grids and films distributed by EMS — it directly overlaps EMS's own C-flat and UltrAuFoil product lines as a competing proprietary grid technology.
• Diatome (DiATOME): DiATOME is both a partner (EMS distributes its diamond knives) and a peer in ultramicrotomy knives — its high-end cryo and room-temperature diamond knives compete with EMS's broader consumables portfolio and represent a critical supply relationship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/EMS-Microscopy-Academy
• Xx.com/emsdiasum
• Facebookfacebook.com/emsdiasum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/electron-microscopy-sciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Electron Microscopy Sciences