The Integral Center for Electronic Microscopy (CIME) is a pioneer institute in Microscopy in Argentina founded in 1982 in collaboration with UNT and CONICET, currently being one of the central services of the CCT-CONICET NOA Sur. Its mission is to obtain knowledge in the field of microscopy to develop its own methods, train specialized human resources and offer better services to its users, both those members of the scientific-academic system and those belonging to the social and productive sectors of the Region. The CIME has two scanning microscopes, and two transmission microscopes.

The current staff of professionals includes a responsible investigator in charge (Virginia Helena Albarracín), a technical manager (Luciano Martinez), specialized technical staff (Manuel Siñeriz Louis, Hernán Esquivel, Cecilia Gallardo y Alejandro Torres) and an administrator (Martín Mazzuco Cánepa). The team is completed by four doctoral fellows and a postdoctoral fellow from CONICET directed / co-directed by Dr. Virginia Albarracín, and 8 interns (professionals and students) who investigate the development of new services in the different areas of CIME (Photography, Documentation and Analysis of image data, Communication and Popularization of Science, Electron Microscopy applied to Health Services, Electron Microscopy applied to Geological Sciences, Electron Microscopy applied to Forensic and Environmental Sciences, Electron Microscopy applied to Nanobiotechnologies and Microbial Engineering).

The CIME is part of the National Microscopy System (SNM) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation whose mission is to generate, execute and coordinate policies that help maximize the use of large microscopes acquired with public funds. The installation of the Integral Center for Electron Microscopy (CIME) in the Scientific-Technological Pole for the Bicentennial in the El Manantial Farm of the UNT is planned shortly. The new building will house the best microscopy platforms in the country, a Zeiss Supra 55VP SEM team and a Zeiss Libra 120 TEM team, both potentially available to the entire scientific community and other social and productive sectors in the region.

In recent decades, new microscopy technologies have emerged explosively and the flexibility and capacity of the new equipment is generating broad perspectives for its use and application in different fields (health, environment, materials, forensics). Due to this accelerated pace in the growth of microscopes, since 2015 the CIME is implementing a strategic plan focused on the formation of human talent that allows to take advantage of local technical and human capacities but also with a vision of broad growth and projection the transfer of products and services and the internationalization of the Center and our services.