Recent advances in infectious disease research using cryo-electron tomography

Abstract

With the increasing spread of infectious diseases worldwide, there is an urgent need for novel strategies to combat them. Cryogenic sample electron microscopy (cryo-EM) techniques, particularly electron tomography (cryo-ET), have revolutionized the field of infectious disease research by enabling multiscale observation of biological structures in a near-native state. This review highlights the recent advances in infectious disease research using cryo-ET and discusses the potential of this structural biology technique to help discover mechanisms of infection in native environments and guiding in the right direction for future drug discovery.