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Updated: Aug 9, 2025

Nano-Differential Scanning Fluorimetry for Screening in Fragment-based Lead Discovery

Nano-Differential Scanning Fluorimetry for Screening in Fragment-based Lead Discovery

Published on: May 16, 2021

MicroED in drug discovery.

Emma Danelius¹, Khushboo Patel¹, Brenda Gonzalez¹

¹Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E.Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

Current Opinion in Structural Biology

|February 23, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED), a cryo-electron microscopy method, is emerging as a powerful tool for drug discovery. It offers advantages for analyzing small molecules, peptides, and proteins using nanocrystalline materials.

Keywords:

Cryo-EM MicroED Nanocrystals Protein-ligand structures Small molecule structures

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Area of Science:

Structural Biology
Biophysics
Drug Discovery

Background:

Microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) is a cryo-electron microscopy technique introduced in 2013.
MicroED utilizes nanocrystalline materials, offering distinct advantages over traditional structural biology methods.
The technique has gained significant traction in recent years for its potential in drug discovery research.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advancements in MicroED technology.
To highlight key applications of MicroED in determining the structures of small molecules, peptides, and proteins.
To underscore MicroED's growing importance as a tool for drug discovery.

Main Methods:

Application of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) principles.
Utilizing microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) for structural analysis.
Investigation of small molecule, peptide, and protein structures.

Main Results:

Demonstration of MicroED's capability in solving structures of diverse biomolecules.
Showcasing advantages of MicroED, including the use of nanocrystalline samples.
Compilation of examples illustrating MicroED's contribution to structural biology.

Conclusions:

MicroED is a rapidly developing technique with significant potential in drug discovery.
The method provides valuable structural insights for small molecules, peptides, and proteins.
Advancements in MicroED are positioning it as a key tool for future pharmaceutical research.