English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

The electron microscope provides a powerful tool for investigating the structure of biological complexes such as viruses. A modern instrument is fully capable of atomic resolution on suitable non-biological specimens, but biological materials are difficult to preserve, owing to their fragility, and to image, owing to their radiation, sensitivity. The act of imaging the specimen severely damages it. Originally, samples were prepared by staining with a heavy metal salt, which provides a stable specimen but limits the amount of details that can be retrieved. Now particulate specimens, such as viruses, are prepared by rapid freezing of unstained material and observed in a frozen state with low doses of electrons. The resulting images require extensive computer processing to extract fully detailed three-dimensional information about the specimen. The whole process is referred to as single-particle electron cryomicroscopy. Using this approach, the structure of the human hepatitis B virus core was solved at the level of the protein fold. By comparing maps of RNA- and DNA-containing cores, it was possible to propose a model for the maturation and control of the envelopment of the virus during assembly. These examples show that cryomicroscopy offers great potential for understanding the structure and function of complex biological assemblies.

The Leeuwenhoek lecture 2006. Microscopy goes cold: frozen viruses reveal their structural secrets