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Cryo-electron Microscopy

Cryo-electron Microscopy

Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Fabrication of Micro-Patterned Chip with Controlled Thickness for High-Throughput Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

Fabrication of Micro-Patterned Chip with Controlled Thickness for High-Throughput Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

Published on: April 21, 2022

COVID-19 and cryo-EM.

Sriram Subramaniam¹

¹University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.

|July 23, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) powerfully reveals the structures of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. This structural biology technique offers crucial insights into the virus

Keywords:

COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses cryo-EM editorial

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Area of Science:

Structural biology
Virology
Biophysics

Background:

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic highlighted the urgent need for rapid structural determination of viral proteins.
Traditional structural biology methods faced challenges in resolving complex viral structures efficiently.

Discussion:

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a pivotal technique for elucidating the three-dimensional structures of SARS-CoV-2 proteins.
The application of cryo-EM provides high-resolution insights into viral protein assembly, function, and interactions.
This demonstrates the significant advancements and capabilities of cryo-EM in modern structural biology.

Key Insights:

Cryo-EM enables detailed visualization of SARS-CoV-2 protein complexes.
Understanding these structures is critical for developing antiviral therapies and vaccines.
The study showcases cryo-EM as an indispensable tool for virological research.

Outlook:

Continued application of cryo-EM will accelerate the discovery of novel antiviral targets.
Advancements in cryo-EM technology promise even faster and more detailed structural analyses of emerging viral threats.
This work underscores the growing importance of cryo-EM in infectious disease research and drug development.