Transmission Electron Microscope News and Research

RSS

Scientists produce high-resolution 3D image of sarcomere using electron cryo-tomography

Scientists have produced the first high-resolution 3D image of the sarcomere, the basic contractile unit of skeletal and heart muscle cells, by using electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET).

25 Mar 2021

Study investigates activity of enzymes immobilized on gold nanoparticles controlled by infrared laser irradiation

The activity of enzymes in industrial processes, laboratories, and living beings can be remotely controlled using light. This requires their immobilization on the surface of nanoparticles and irradiation with a laser. Near-infrared light can penetrate living tissue without damaging it.

17 Mar 2021

Researchers develop recombinant SARS-CoV-2 model to aid vaccine and antiviral research

Researchers have developed a fluorescent reporter gene-bearing recombinant form of SARS-CoV-2, which is capable of replication.

23 Nov 2020

Accelerated biological aging not a risk factor for severe COVID-19, say researchers

A new study conducted by researchers at RWTH Aachen University in Germany has found no evidence to support the hypothesis that severe outcomes in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be linked to accelerated biological aging.

17 Nov 2020

Vaccines likely to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 D614G mutation

The emergence of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutation D614G has raised many questions, including whether it will cause the virus to become resistant to the vaccines produced against earlier versions of the virus. A new study published in the journal npj Vaccines in October 2020 shows that this may be an unfounded fear.

11 Oct 2020

Anti-sense agents suppress SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing that anti-sense agents called peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers (PPMOs) have the ability to specifically and potently suppress the growth of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

4 Oct 2020

First pathoconnectome shows how eye disease alters retinal circuitry

Scientists from the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah have achieved another first in the field of connectomics, which studies the synaptic connections between neurons.

30 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infects human embryonic epithelial and lung cells

As COVID-19 continues to spread the world over, investigators are still trying to understand how it ravages the human body. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that the virus is capable of infecting human embryonic cells that are destined to form the epithelial surfaces of the body, both internal and external, as well as lung cells.

29 Sep 2020

Life-threatening COVID-19 associated with specific genetic variants

Results of a genome-wide association study on 2,244 critically-ill patients due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from 208 intensive care units across the United Kingdom revealed significant host-specific genetic determinants that can predispose people to the severe form of the disease. The report is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

28 Sep 2020

No discernable difference in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads of young children versus older children and adults

Sharline Madera et al. , in a recent medRxiv* preprint paper, show a detailed investigation of viral nucleic acid among young children and adults, involving over 5,000 cases confirmed by RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase – Polymerase Chain Reaction) assay.

23 Sep 2020

New antibody assay for COVID-19 promises sensitive mass-scale detection

A new paper by researchers at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020, reports on the development of a serologic assay that is suitable for sensitive high-throughput antibody testing for COVID-19.

15 Sep 2020

Single-molecule imaging of SARS-CoV-2 spikes on virus particles

Using single-molecule FRET analysis, a team of researchers has revealed how the different conformations of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein are interconnected. Figuring out the different conformations in real-time and which conformations antibodies prefer may help design effective vaccines and drugs. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

14 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 does not pose a food safety risk, health agency says

Now, a new report by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) highlights the link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and food safety. ICMSF is a global non-government organization that aims to provide information on food safety and human health.

8 Sep 2020

Bioinformatics identifies key genes and cellular pathways in COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is showing no signs of waning or extinction anytime soon. Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 shows a new bioinformatics approach to studying the pathogenesis of this disease, by uncovering the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and cell signaling pathways that cause the disease characteristics. This will help develop better therapies to counter the effects of these genes.

20 Aug 2020

Number of children contracting SARS-CoV-2 steadily increasing, CDC says

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance revealing that the number and infection rate of COVID-19 cases among children have steadily increased between March and July, which may worsen as schools start to re-open.

18 Aug 2020

Thermo Fisher Scientific launches two breakthrough imaging filters that take cryo-EM to a new level

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, today introduced two breakthrough imaging filters, the Thermo Scientific Selectris Imaging Filter and the Thermo Scientific Selectris X Imaging Filter, taking cryo-electron microscopy to a new level, making it possible to view proteins at true atomic resolution.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 13 Aug 2020

New research on COVID-19 and aging

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that genetic factors, chronic disease, and biological aging define the relationship between aging and the severity of COVID-19.

11 Aug 2020

COVID-19 patient with repeatedly undetectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

A recent case study published in the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine in August 2020 illustrates this with its finding of persistent seronegativity in a patient confirmed to be SARS-CoV-2 positive.

10 Aug 2020

A multi-omics single cell analysis on COVID-19

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv aims to analyze the immune response over time, using multi-omics in the study of a single cell.

21 Jul 2020

Doctor in Israel reinfected with COVID-19 three months after recovering

There is still a lot to learn about coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is currently ravaging across the globe. Though scientists are slowly gaining a better understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is still unclear if being infected once may provide long-lasting immunity against the novel coronavirus.

20 Jul 2020