3 ms·
Congrats! Cryo-EM is the tool that basically gave birth to integrative structural biology. Our understanding of how viruses attach to healthy cells, or how blas
by indescions_2017 9y ago
Congrats! Cryo-EM is the tool that basically gave birth to integrative structural biology. Our understanding of how viruses attach to healthy cells, or how blastocysts differentiate into stem cells is all contingent upon our ability to observe these processes in vivo. And as we push ever further down into the atomic scale, using better electron detectors and more intelligent Bayesian estimations, many hidden mysteries of cell functioning will soon be revealed.
For example, seeing the structure and attack vector of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite that causes severe malaria has led to the design for an inhibitor.
The cryo-EM structure of the Plasmodium falciparum 20S proteasome and its use in the fight against malaria.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27286897 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27286897
Hexahydroquinolines are antimalarial candidates with potent blood-stage and transmission-blocking activity
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-017-0007-4 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-017-0007-4
- aswanson 9y agoWhat are some good introductory texts/resources to read to get up to your level of understanding in these topics? Is this a biochem, virology, molecular bio area of study?
- indescions_2017 9y agoInvaluable for understanding the Central Dogma of molecular biochemistry: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-biology-secret-life-mitx-7-00x-6 https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-biology-secret-life-... Followed by a daily diet of Nature, Cell, & Science
- aswanson 9y agoMuch obliged.