Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Sample Preparation for Single Virion Atomic Force Microscopy and Super-resolution Fluorescence Imaging
Published on: January 2, 2014
Quantitative imaging of single, unstained viruses with coherent x rays
Changyong Song1, Huaidong Jiang, Adrian Mancuso
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
Abstract:
We report the recording and reconstruction of x-ray diffraction patterns from single, unstained viruses, for the first time. By separating the diffraction pattern of the virus particles from that of their surroundings, we performed quantitative and high-contrast imaging of a single virion. The structure of the viral capsid inside a virion was visualized. This work opens the door for quantitative x-ray imaging of a broad range of specimens from protein machineries and viruses to cellular organelles. Moreover, our experiment is directly transferable to the use of x-ray free electron lasers, and represents an experimental milestone towards the x-ray imaging of large protein complexes.
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy
Two-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology
X-ray Imaging

