Date/Time
Mar 15, 2018 (Thu), 13:30-14:30
Place
2F Seminar room, BioSystems Building
Speaker
Prof. Richard Henderson (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)
Title
The increasing power of cryoEM for macromolecular structure determination.
Abstract
In the last few years, single particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM) has experienced a quantum leap in its capability, due to improved electron microscopes, better detectors and better software, and this is revolutionising structural biology. Using the technique devised by Jacques Dubochet and his colleagues, a thin film containing a suspension of the macromolecules of interest is plunge-frozen into liquid ethane at liquid nitrogen temperature, creating a frozen-hydrated sample in which individual images of the structures can be seen in many different orientations. Subsequent computer-based image analysis is then used to determine the three-dimensional structure, frequently at near-atomic resolution. I will show examples of some recent structures, and discuss remaining barriers to progress. CryoEM is already a very powerful method, but there are still many improvements that can be made before the approach reaches its theoretical limits.
Host
Keiichi Namba
Richard Henderson 博士は1975年に、Nigel Unwin博士とともに電子線結晶構造解析法を開発し、バクテリオロドプシン2次元結晶の構造を解析して、世界で初めて膜貫通タンパク質のαヘリックスの束の可視化に成功しました。その後もクライオ電子顕微鏡法と画像解析の技術開発をリードし、1990年にはこの膜タンパク質の、GPCRと共通な7本膜貫通ヘリックスを持つ立体構造を原子レベルの分解能で解析しました。Jacques Dubochet 博士、Joachim Frank 博士と共に受賞した2017年のノーベル化学賞は、その貢献を認められてのものです。現在も世界のパイオニアとしてこの分野を牽引しておられます。ノーベル賞受賞後初めての来日で、3 月15 日 に大阪大学を訪問されますので、この機会に講演をお願いしました。ぜひご来聴下さい。