Cryo-EM

Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM)

Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) is a type of electron microscopy used for imaging frozen-hydrated specimens at cryogenic temperatures. Pronounced as "kryo-EM", the term is derived from the Greek word "kryos" meaning cold and "electron microscopy" which is a technique for obtaining high resolution images of biological and non-biological specimens.

History

The development of Cryo-EM started in the 1980s with the pioneering work of Jacques Dubochet and his colleagues at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. They developed a method to rapidly freeze biological specimens in a thin layer of ice, preserving their natural structure.

Technique

Cryo-EM involves the use of an electron microscope to shoot a beam of electrons towards a sample that has been cryogenically frozen. This freezing process helps to preserve the structure of the sample, allowing for detailed imaging at a molecular level. The resulting images can then be used to create a three-dimensional model of the sample.

Applications

Cryo-EM is used in a variety of scientific fields, including structural biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. It has been instrumental in the study of viruses, proteins, and other biological structures. In recent years, Cryo-EM has also been used in the development of drugs and vaccines, including those for COVID-19.

Related Terms

• Electron Microscopy
• Structural Biology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Jacques Dubochet

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Cryo-EM
• Wikipedia's article - Cryo-EM

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