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21 May 2018

Virus Scan

Viruses technically aren’t alive at all, but exist by hijacking machinery in their host’s cells to replicate and spread. To get a better idea of how this works, here a delicate viral particle is frozen in time as it emerges from an infected human cell. Electrons blasted at different angles bounce and deflect off bits of the virus – leaving patterns which are reconstructed into a detailed 3D view of its architecture. This technique, called cryo-electron tomography, highlights 'snakes' of protein attached to the virus’ genetic material (artificially coloured orange, each 10 million times smaller than a python), and prickly glycoproteins on the outside of the membrane (one highlighted in cyan). These and other details help researchers investigate the traits measles has in common with parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – common causes of respiratory illnesses – as a step towards breaking them apart.

Written by John Ankers

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What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.