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Preparation of High-Temperature Sample Grids for Cryo-EM
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Pioneers: Academic Career in Cryo-EM Structural Biology
1School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Journal of Molecular Biology
|January 22, 2026
Summary
Researchers utilized advanced cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the near-atomic structure of the phycobilisome-photosystem megacomplex in situ. This breakthrough provides unprecedented insights into photosynthetic machinery within cellular environments.
Area of Science:
- Structural Biology
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Established independent laboratory at Tsinghua University in 1989, focusing on biological macromolecular structures.
- Pioneered the application of 3D electron microscopy in China.
- Early work involved 2D protein crystallization and electron microscopy studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural transitions of biological macromolecules.
- To determine high-resolution structures of large protein complexes using single-particle electron microscopy.
- To advance in situ structural determination methods for cellular complexes.
Main Methods:
- Two-dimensional crystallization and electron microscopy (1990s).
- Single-particle electron microscopy (late 1990s onwards).
- Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) for high-resolution structure determination, including in situ studies.
Main Results:
- Elucidated the structural transition of protease DegP between solution and membrane-bound states.
- Determined the near-atomic structure of an 18-megadalton phycobilisome in 2017.
- Reported a near-atomic resolution in situ structure of the phycobilisome-photosystem membrane protein megacomplex in 2023.
Conclusions:
- Significant advancements in understanding the structure and function of large protein complexes.
- Demonstrated the power of cryo-EM for near-atomic resolution in situ structural biology.
- Established a foundation for future structural studies of complex cellular machinery.
Keywords:
cryo-electron microscopycryo-electron tomographyphotosynthesisprotein machinestructural biologyMore Related Videos
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