Development of methods to improve structure resolution using EM data

Prof Elena Orlova (primary)
Biological Sciences
Birkbeck College
Pof Maya Topf (secondary)
Biological Sciences
Birkbeck College

Abstract

Advances in methods of electron microscopy and image processing enabled us to achieve nearly routinely a resolution of many bio-complexes about 4A. However, current approaches should be modified for analysis of images of samples frozen in solution (cryo EM) that are typically not in a fixed state but have a continuum of different conformations. To understand the dynamics of bio-complexes one has to use statistical methods to analyse huge amount of data and to link the most populated conformations and images that represent projections of the complexes but obscured by noise. The student will learn how to analyse EM data, determine structures using methods of electron microscopy, and apply bioinformatics approaches. This study will integrate extensive knowledge on cryo EM methods and statistical analysis of large data sets.


References

A.P. Joseph, S. Malhotra, T. Burnley, C. Wood, D.K. Clare, M. Winn, M. Topf. Methods 100, 42-49, 2016
Pandurangan AP, Vasishtan D, Alber F, Topf M. (2015) Structure 23:2365–2376.
Costa TRD, Ignatiou A, Orlova EV. Structural Analysis of Protein Complexes by Cryo Electron Microscopy. Methods Mol Biol. 2017;1615:377-413. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7033-9_28
White HE, Ignatiou A, Clare DK, Orlova EV. Structural Study of Heterogeneous Biological Samples by Cryoelectron Microscopy and Image Processing. Biomed Res Int. 2017; 2017:1032432


BBSRC Area
Molecules, cells and industrial biotechnology
Area of Biology
Cell BiologyDevelopmentStructural Biology
Techniques & Approaches
BioinformaticsImage ProcessingMathematics / StatisticsMicroscopy / ElectrophysiologyMolecular BiologySimulation / Modelling