Nobel Laureate in chemistry Joachim Frank will visit Kenyon for several presentations on September 17. The second of these presentations will be on the processes and impact of cryogenic electron microscopy.
Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has transformed the way we can study biological molecules as it enables us to determine structure of molecules freely suspended in solution (as “single particles”), and to gauge the way they change their shape as they interact with one another in the cell. Freezing, by plunging the sample rapidly into a cryogen at liquid nitrogen temperature, is necessary to trap the molecules in a fixed position in vitreous ice for imaging and to reduce the damage inflicted by the electrons in the process.
Following the introduction of novel cameras for detecting single electrons, near-atomic resolution has been achieved for many molecules and molecular machines of biomedical relevance, including ion channels and receptors. Most recently cryo-EM has contributed in major ways to the development of vaccines and cures for COVID-19.
The Natural Sciences Division invites you to join us in the Oden Auditorium from 7 - 8 p.m. for the second of two presentations from Nobel Laureate in chemistry Joachim Frank. We hope to see you there for this exciting presentation!