As scientists, we would like to understand how a molecule works at atomic level and obtaining a structure is the ultimate goal in this process. Electron cryomicroscopy (CryoEM) has the power to obtain atomic resolution structure of macromolecules and in recent times, the advances in the hardware of electron microscopes, detectors and softwares has made the technique very powerful and many macromolecular structures, which previously were difficult to study structurally can now be studied. In cryoEM, macromolecules in solution are rapidly frozen and imaged with electrons, and recent technological advancements now allow routine structure determination of biomolecules at resolutions of 2.5–3.0 Å—with some reaching 1.2 Å—enabling clear visualization of protein side chains, water molecules, and even individual atoms (at 1.2 Å). The images, which are projections of the molecule of interest are then averaged and reconstructed to obtain a high-resolution map. As the molecules are frozen from a solution the possibility to get multiple conformational or structural states is an added advantage with cryoEM.
The facility, the first of its kind in India, was formally inaugurated by Prof. C.N.R. Rao in 2018 and has since emerged as a national resource for researchers working in structural biology and drug development. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has played a pivotal role in the establishment1,2 and continued advancement of the facility—initially through the B-Life Grant, which supported its setup and operations until 2022, and more recently through the DBT-SAHAJ grant (BT/INF/22/SP53428/2025), awarded to upgrade the facility’s infrastructure and computational capabilities.
References:
1. Subramanian R, Mayor S, Vinothkumar KR. The resolution revolution reaches India. Biophys Rev. 2019 Jul 2;11(4):513-514. doi: 10.1007/s12551-019-00558-7.
2. Shukla AK, Banerjee M, Singh AK, Penmatsa A, Dutta S, Anand R, Sirajuddin M, Srivastava SS. Cryo-EM research in India. Structure. 2024 Feb 1;32(2):113-119. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2024.01.002.
