Unsupervised particle sorting for high-resolution single-particle cryo-EM Single-particle cryo-Electron Microscopy (EM) has become a popular technique for determining the structure of challenging biomolecules that are inaccessible to other technologies. Recent advances in automation, both in data collection and data processing, have significantly lowered the barrier for non-expert users to successfully execute the structure determination workflow. Many critical data processing…
Single-particle cryo-EM structure of a voltage-activated potassium channel in lipid nanodiscs The structure of a voltage-activated potassium channel in lipid nanodiscs solved using cryo-electron microscopy is similar to previous X-ray structures, and provides insights into the mechanism of C-type inactivation. eLife, 7:e37558, 2018.
Cryo-EM structure of human rhodopsin bound to an inhibitory G protein For the first time, scientists have visualized the interaction between two critical components of the body’s vast cellular communication network, a discovery that could lead to more effective medications with fewer side effects for conditions ranging from migraine to cancer. The near-atomic resolution images obtained, show a G-protein coupled…
Atomic Resolution Cryo-EM Structure of B-galactosidase We report methods to account for radiation damage and local changes in defocus and image drift, enabling visualization of atomic resolution features in a cryo-EM density map of inhibitor-bound b-galactosidase, and measuring of local flexibility of the bound inhibitor using constrained molecular dynamics simulations. Structure, 26(6), 2018.
Atomic Resolution Cryo-EM Structure of B-galactosidase We report methods to account for radiation damage and local changes in defocus and image drift, enabling visualization of atomic resolution features in a cryo-EM density map of inhibitor-bound -galactosidase, and derivation of atom-specific measures of local flexibility of the bound inhibitor using constrained molecular dynamics simulations. Structure, 26(6), p. 848-85, 2018.
Cryo-EM Structures Reveal Mechanism and Inhibition of DNA Targeting by a CRISPR-Cas Surveillance Complex Electron-microscopy images reveal how a CRISPR system marks specific DNA sequences for destruction. Microbes use CRISPR as a defense system to fend off viruses and other invaders, and geneticists have harnessed it to alter DNA sequences in a process called gene editing. We used cryo-electron microscopy…
Breaking Cryo-EM Resolution Barriers to Facilitate Drug Discovery Using cryo-EM we were able to capture images of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), an enzyme found in cells, at a resolution of 1.8 angstroms, a level of detail at which the structure of the central parts of the enzyme could be visualized in atomic detail. We also imaged two small proteins in…