Cryo-EM with sub–1 Å specimen movement

Abstract

Going for the gold Single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a go-to technique for structural biologists. Although data-processing and reconstruction methods have improved, innovations in sample preparation and data collection are essential to reliably achieve high-resolution reconstructions while also reducing the amount of time required per structure. Naydenova et al. tackled the issue of electron beam–induced particle movement, a major source of information loss, by designing a gold sample support that prevents buckling of the extremely thin layer of ice in which the particles are suspended (see Perspective by Rapp and Carragher). The negligible particle displacement permits extrapolation to “zero exposure” structure factors, revealing features typically lost in cryo-EM structures. Far fewer particles per unit resolution are required, which greatly accelerates structure determination, especially at high resolution. Science , this issue p. 223 ; see also p. 171