Researchers unveiled a hybrid-pixel gallium arsenide (GaAs) counting detector optimized for 100 keV electron beams that improves imaging performance for cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The new detector addresses longstanding detector efficiency and noise limitations at lower accelerating voltages favored for some biological specimens and materials. The technology promises better signal-to-noise and potentially higher resolution imaging of radiation-sensitive samples, expanding the range of specimens accessible to cryo-EM. Early adopters in structural biology could accelerate high-resolution mapping of membrane proteins and small complexes that have been challenging under standard 300 keV workflows. Commercialization and compatibility with existing microscopes will determine uptake. If instrument vendors and core facilities incorporate GaAs detectors, structural discovery timelines for drug targets and biologics development could shorten markedly.