[tt] first xray diffraction image of a single virus

[Eugen Leitl]

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From: the physics arXiv blog <howdy at arxivblog.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:26:19 -0500 (CDT)
To: eugen at leitl.org
Subject: the physics arXiv blog
Reply-To: the physics arXiv blog <howdy at arxivblog.com>


[1]the physics arXiv blog

   [2]First X-ray diffraction image of a single virus

   Posted: 20 Jun 2008 12:20 AM CDT

   [3]Virus x-ray 

   X-ray crystallography has been a workhorse technique for chemists
   since the 1940s and 50s. For many years, it was the only way to
   determine the 3D structure of complex biological molecules such
   haemoglobin, DNA and insulin. Many a Nobel prize has been won poring
   over diffraction images with a magnifying glass.

   But x-ray crystallography 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.

   So for many years scientists have searched in vain for a technique
   that can image single molecules in 3D with the resolution, utility and
   cost-effectiveness of x-ray diffraction.

   That search might now be over. Today, John Miao at the University of
   California, Los Angeles, makes the claim that he and his team have
   taken the first picture of a single unstained virus using a technique
   called x-ray diffraction microscopy. Until now this kind of imaging
   has only been done with micrometre-sized objects.

   Miao's improvement comes from taking a diffraction pattern of the
   virus and then subtracting the diffraction pattern of its
   surroundings. The resolution of his images is a mere 22 nanometres,
   that's an improvement of three orders of magnitude.

   If confirmed, that's an extraordinary breakthrough. With brighter
   x-ray sources, the team says higher resolution images will be possible
   and that it's just a matter of time before they start teasing apart
   the 3D structures of the many proteins that have eluded biologists to
   date.

   But best of all, x-ray diffraction gear is so cheap that this kind of
   technique should be within reach of almost any university lab in the
   world.

   Ref: [4]arxiv.org/abs/0806.2875: Quantitative Imaging of Single,
   Unstained Viruses with Coherent X-rays

   [5][arXivblog?i=opzcyc] 
   [6][arXivblog?i=bU5P7I] [7][arXivblog?i=IRDGGI]
   [8][arXivblog?i=uNDYli] [9][arXivblog?i=5bGfLI]
   [10][arXivblog?i=mmQ0vi] [11][arXivblog?i=1aRPwI]
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References

   1. http://arxivblog.com/
   2. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arXivblog/~3/315963825/
   3. http://arxivblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/virus-x-ray.jpg
   4. http://arxiv.org/abs/0806.2875
   5. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/arXivblog?a=opzcyc
   6. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=bU5P7I
   7. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=IRDGGI
   8. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=uNDYli
   9. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=5bGfLI
  10. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=mmQ0vi
  11. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=1aRPwI
  12. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=lUF8Bi
  13. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=oAtsSI
  14. http://arxivblog.com/
  15. http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailunsub?id=8632699&key=kesJ612ZsV
  16. http://feeds.feedburner.com/arXivblog
  17. http://feeds.feedburner.com/arXivblog

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Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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