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arXiv · 2511.08819

TEM Agent: enhancing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with modern AI tools

Morgan K. Wall·Alexander J. Pattison·Edward S. Barnard·Stephanie M. Ribet·Peter Ercius
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Abstract

Recent improvements in large language models (LLMs) have had a dramatic effect on capabilities and productivity across many disciplines involving critical thinking and writing. The development of the model context protocol (MCP) provides a way to extend the power of LLMs to a specific set of tasks or scientific equipment with help from curated tools and resources. Here, we describe a framework called TEM Agent designed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that leverages the benefits of LLMs through a MCP approach. We simultaneously access and control several subsystems of the TEM, a data management platform, and high performance computing resources through text-based instructions. We demonstrate the abilities of the TEM Agent to set up and complete intricate workflows using a simplified set of MCP tools and resources accompanying a commercial LLM without any additional training. The use of a framework such as the TEM Agent simplifies access to complex microscope ecosystems comprised of several vendor and custom systems enhancing the ability of users to accomplish microscopy experiments across a range of difficulty levels.

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Morgan K. Wall, Alexander J. Pattison, Edward S. Barnard, Stephanie M. Ribet, Peter Ercius. 2025-11-11. TEM Agent: enhancing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with modern AI tools. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-026-02103-z

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