First X-Ray Diffraction Image of a Single Virus

KentuckyFC writes "X-ray crystallography has been a workhorse for chemists since the 1940s and 50s, revealing the 3D structure of complex biological molecules such as haemoglobin, DNA and insulin. But the technique has a severe limitation: it only works with molecules that form into crystals and that turns out to be a tiny fraction of the proteins that make up living things. But today, a team of US researchers say they have created the first image of a single uncrystallized virus using x-ray diffraction. The trick is to take a diffraction pattern of the virus and then subtract the diffraction pattern of its surroundings (abstract). The breakthrough paves the way for scientists to start teasing apart the 3D structures of the many proteins that have eluded biologists to date."

Comments

Re:First step towards X-ray microscopy

[blueg3]

While the statement "you cannot focus X-rays like you can visible light with lenses" is misleading, it's true. You can't focus X-rays like you can focus visible light, and you can't do it (effectively) with lenses. However, you can focus X-rays.

Re:Which high school was that?

[clonan]

Actually refolding is fairly rare and almost always results from an environmental change (the protein get shoved into a membrane or it is surrounded by chaperon proteins). There are hinges and the like which affect functionality but thoes are very specific domains typically including a proline which isn't really an amino acid. Whole sale spontaneous refolding is essentially unheard of.

I went to a public high school and an engineering college. I heard the oil-drop model of proteins until I took biochem as a junior in college. The Biochem I took was actually a graduate level course.