May. 20, 2010

Moving Is Living

Numerous cells in our bodies are capable of active movement. They use an internal "motor" coupled with a cunning recycling system. Researchers from IMBA (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology) and IMP (Institute of Molecular Pathology) in Vienna, Austria have been able to literally freeze this process using cryo-electron tomography and to get a truthful picture of the cell's internal propulsion system. Their findings, which challenge existing textbook models, make the cover-story of the May issue of the journal Nature Cell Biology. moreMay. 17, 2010

To 'See' Atoms for First Time

UCLA researchers (USA) report in the journal Cell that they have imaged a virus structure at a resolution high enough to effectively "see" atoms, the first published instance of imaging biological complexes at such a resolution. The research team, led by Hong Zhou, UCLA professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, used cryo-electron microscopy to image the structure at 3.3 angstroms. An angstrom is the smallest recognized division of a chemical element and is about the distance between the two hydrogen atoms in a water molecule. moreMay. 05, 2010

To 'See' Atoms for First Time

UCLA researchers (USA) report in the journal Cell that they have imaged a virus structure at a resolution high enough to effectively "see" atoms, the first published instance of imaging biological complexes at such a resolution. The research team, led by Hong Zhou, UCLA professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, used cryo-electron microscopy to image the structure at 3.3 angstroms. An angstrom is the smallest recognized division of a chemical element and is about the distance between the two hydrogen atoms in a water molecule. moreNov. 01, 2007

Cryo-fluorescence Microscopy

Cryo-fluorescence Microscopy. The use of a novel cryo-light microscope stage enabled C. Schwartz and her colleagues to perform correlative light and electron microscopy of vitreous samples prepared for cryo-EM. In addition to the correlative imaging aspect, photobleaching of the fluorophores is reduced the cryogenic temperatures (-140 °C) of the setup. J. Microsc., 227, pp. 98-109 more