The electron microscope facility at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC), at the University of North Carolina, is a world leader in the analysis and visualization of DNA- and RNA-protein complexes. Established by Dr. Jack Griffith in 1978, the facility houses the only laboratory in the U.S. specifically dedicated to visualizing DNA- and RNA-protein interactions and is frequently called upon by research institutions and organizations to provide breakthrough scientific findings. For instance, Dr. Griffith, in collaboration with Dr. Paul Englund at John Hopkins University, was the first to visualize DNA molecules with unusual curvatures; and, working with Dr. Mark Ptashne and Dr. Tom Maniatis at Harvard, was the first to visualize the looping of DNA and splicesomes. Presently, the lab is working with Nobel Prize winner Dr. Arthur Kornberg at Stanford University to understand how DNA replicates.

According to Dr. Griffith, LCCC's electron microscopy system is part of a unique scientific approach to studying DNA- and RNA-protein complexes. The approach integrates electron microscopy with conventional molecular biologic and biochemical research methods.