Breakthroughs that can improve our understanding of the living world are enabled by research into fundamental biological processes. In the fields of plant biology and crop science, these insights can shed light not just on cellular function but also the interaction of unknown chemical substances or pathogens with the plant. For example, electron microscopy can reveal the interaction between a viral/fungal species and the crop, informing breakthroughs in disease prevention that result in increased crop and agricultural product yield.
Particularly significant is cryo-EM’s ability to observe a wide range of detail, from proteins (with single particle analysis) to their cellular context (with tomography), all the way up to the overall structure of the plant (large volume analysis), providing a full understanding of fundamental interactions and mechanisms.
Proteins Analysis
Cryo-electron microscopy provides near-atomic resolution 3D protein structure. It can determine structural information for complexes and crystallization-resistant samples, as well as vital cellular context.
Virus Analysis
Cryo-EM enables the 3D structural visualization of virus particles, and the antigen-antibody interface, at near-atomic resolutions. A virus’s inherent structural symmetry makes it the ideal target for cryo-EM analysis.
Single Particle Analysis
Single particle analysis (SPA) is a cryo-electron microscopy technique that enables structural characterization at near-atomic resolutions, unraveling dynamic biological processes and the structure of biomolecular complexes/assemblies.
Cryo-Tomography
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) delivers both structural information about individual proteins as well as their spatial arrangements within the cell. This makes it a truly unique technique and also explains why the method has such an enormous potential for cell biology. Cryo-ET can bridge the gap between light microscopy and near-atomic-resolution techniques like single-particle analysis.
Integrative Structural Biology
To understand protein function, you need complex and structure information beyond individual proteins. Integrative structural biology combines mass spectrometry and cryo EM for the determination of large dynamic complex structure.
Large Volume Analysis
A novel serial block-face imaging (SBFI) solution that combines multi-energy deconvolution scanning electron microscopy (MED-SEM) with in situ sectioning. Automation and ease-of-use functions provide isotropic resolution for large volume samples.
Single Particle Analysis
Single particle analysis (SPA) is a cryo-electron microscopy technique that enables structural characterization at near-atomic resolutions, unraveling dynamic biological processes and the structure of biomolecular complexes/assemblies.
Cryo-Tomography
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) delivers both structural information about individual proteins as well as their spatial arrangements within the cell. This makes it a truly unique technique and also explains why the method has such an enormous potential for cell biology. Cryo-ET can bridge the gap between light microscopy and near-atomic-resolution techniques like single-particle analysis.
Integrative Structural Biology
To understand protein function, you need complex and structure information beyond individual proteins. Integrative structural biology combines mass spectrometry and cryo EM for the determination of large dynamic complex structure.
Large Volume Analysis
A novel serial block-face imaging (SBFI) solution that combines multi-energy deconvolution scanning electron microscopy (MED-SEM) with in situ sectioning. Automation and ease-of-use functions provide isotropic resolution for large volume samples.
