Basic life processes start in the cell. To understand how they function and respond to disease or genetic variations, life scientists engage in cellular and structural biology research. Cellular biology explores individual cells and the ways in which they are organized into organs and tissues. Structural biologists delve deep into sub-cellular components, organelles and macromolecular structures. Electron microscopy (EM) is capable of providing insight at all these scales and more, revealing even atomic-level structural details for a range of biomolecules.
Cryo-electron microscopy
While electron microscopy has been successfully used to study dehydrated and resin-embedded organic samples, the heart of modern EM biological research is cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) a revolutionary method in which samples are cooled to cryogenic temperatures so quickly that water molecules do not have time to crystalize, preserving the native sample structure. Once frozen, a range of EM techniques is used to visualize this “snapshot” of the specimen in 2D or 3D. This can be done at a variety of resolutions, from cellular organelles imaged with cryo tomography all the way down to the near-atomic resolution of single-particle analysis.
3D vizualization of Tau filaments 503L
Structural Biology Research
Cryo-electron microscopy enables the structural analysis of challenging biological targets such as large complexes, flexible species and membrane protein.
Infectious Disease Research
Cryo-EM techniques enable multiscale observations of 3D biological structures in their near-native states, informing faster, more efficient development of therapeutics.
Drug Discovery
Learn how to take advantage of rational drug design for many more major drug target classes, leading to best-in-class drugs.
Plant Biology Research
Fundamental plant biology research is enabled by cryo electron microscopy, which provides information on proteins (with single particle analysis), to their cellular context (with tomography), all the way up to the overall structure of the plant (large volume analysis).
Pathology Research
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is used when the nature of the disease cannot be established via alternative methods. With nano-biological imaging, TEM provides accurate and reliable insight for certain pathologies.
Single Particle Analysis
Single particle analysis (SPA) is a cryo-electron microscopy technique that enables structural characterization at near-atomic resolutions, unraveling dynamic biological processes and the structure of biomolecular complexes/assemblies.
Cryo-Tomography
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) delivers both structural information about individual proteins as well as their spatial arrangements within the cell. This makes it a truly unique technique and also explains why the method has such an enormous potential for cell biology. Cryo-ET can bridge the gap between light microscopy and near-atomic-resolution techniques like single-particle analysis.
MicroED
MicroED is an exciting new technique with applications in the structural determination of small molecules and protein. With this method, atomic details can be extracted from individual nanocrystals (<200 nm in size), even in a heterogeneous mixture.
Large Volume Analysis
A novel serial block-face imaging (SBFI) solution that combines multi-energy deconvolution scanning electron microscopy (MED-SEM) with in situ sectioning. Automation and ease-of-use functions provide isotropic resolution for large volume samples.
Integrative Structural Biology
To understand protein function, you need complex and structure information beyond individual proteins. Integrative structural biology combines mass spectrometry and cryo EM for the determination of large dynamic complex structure.
Cryo-EM Sample Preparation
Successful protein preparation lies at the base of any successful structural biology technique. For cryo-electron microsocopy, a wide range of solutions is required to achieve the highest sample quality before freezing of the specimen on the EM grid.
Single Particle Analysis
Single particle analysis (SPA) is a cryo-electron microscopy technique that enables structural characterization at near-atomic resolutions, unraveling dynamic biological processes and the structure of biomolecular complexes/assemblies.
Cryo-Tomography
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) delivers both structural information about individual proteins as well as their spatial arrangements within the cell. This makes it a truly unique technique and also explains why the method has such an enormous potential for cell biology. Cryo-ET can bridge the gap between light microscopy and near-atomic-resolution techniques like single-particle analysis.
MicroED
MicroED is an exciting new technique with applications in the structural determination of small molecules and protein. With this method, atomic details can be extracted from individual nanocrystals (<200 nm in size), even in a heterogeneous mixture.
Large Volume Analysis
A novel serial block-face imaging (SBFI) solution that combines multi-energy deconvolution scanning electron microscopy (MED-SEM) with in situ sectioning. Automation and ease-of-use functions provide isotropic resolution for large volume samples.
Integrative Structural Biology
To understand protein function, you need complex and structure information beyond individual proteins. Integrative structural biology combines mass spectrometry and cryo EM for the determination of large dynamic complex structure.
Cryo-EM Sample Preparation
Successful protein preparation lies at the base of any successful structural biology technique. For cryo-electron microsocopy, a wide range of solutions is required to achieve the highest sample quality before freezing of the specimen on the EM grid.
Proteins Analysis
Cryo-electron microscopy provides near-atomic resolution 3D protein structure. It can determine structural information for complexes and crystallization-resistant samples, as well as vital cellular context.
Biopharmaceutical Research
Structural drug discovery is enabled by cryo-electron microscopy, as the method provides near-atomic-resolution detail for small molecules and protein biologics in their fully hydrated state.
Virus Analysis
Cryo-EM enables the 3D structural visualization of virus particles, and the antigen-antibody interface, at near-atomic resolutions. A virus’s inherent structural symmetry makes it the ideal target for cryo-EM analysis.
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