A new system for energy-filtered electron microscopy (EFTEM) has been developed, adapted for the study of life science specimens. Special attention has been given to integration, ease of use and the typical problems encountered while investigating unstained and cryo-specimens. Low-dose, cryocapabilities and a high-contrast objective lens have been combined with an imaging energy filter, digital image recording with phosphor scintillator and advanced image-processing capabilities. The CM120-BioFilter is an integration of the CM120-BioTWIN or the CM120TWIN with the Gatan postcolumn imaging filter GIF100. The BioTWIN objective lens (Cs=6.2 mm, f=5.9 mm) is optimized for high-contrast imaging. The TWIN lens(Cs=2mm,f=2.8mm) is optimized for high resolution in structural biology. The GIF 100 is a computer-controlled, second-order corrected energy filter with a cooled multiscan CCD for digital image recording. Improvement of the contrast can be achieved if inelastically scattered electrons are removed.