In recent times, an advanced technology called cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), that probes the flash-frozen samples using an electron beam has brought a revolution in biomolecule imaging. However, the technology is still inaccessible to many researchers due to its expensive and complex microscopes. Now, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have developed a cost-effective and flexible cryo-electron microscope, which could make it accessible to thousands of labs. The team took six years to construct this microscope by adding a new imaging function to a scanning electron microscope and addressed various previous issues. The team is now hoping to improve image resolution further, by replacing the electron gun to one that creates a higher quality electron beam.