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Bioimaging RSS feed

SLAC has a unique set of tools for looking at viruses, microbes, cells and the tiny machines inside the cell that perform all of life’s functions. This research gives scientists a better understanding of how living things work, what makes us sick and how we can prevent and treat disease. 

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Science of life

Artist's depiction of a tiny pore in an archaea's crystalline shell

Press Release

With up to a million X-ray flashes per second, 8,000 times more than its predecessor, it transforms the ability of scientists to explore atomic-scale...

LCLS-II first light
News Feature

A molecule with hooks that can grip and disable the virus’s pesky protease shows potential for fighting infection.

This graphic illustration shows how a SARS-CoV-2 protease attaches to a new molecule. The new molecule is meant to slow the virus inside an infected person.
Press Release

Researchers used cryo-EM (left) to discover how a chamber in human cells (right) directs protein folding. 

A pom-pom like object with curly tangles in purple and blue shades and yellow tangles at center, reminiscent of a zinnia blossom.
Press Release

Powerful X-rays from SLAC’s synchrotron reveal that our immune system’s primary wiring seems to be no match for a brutal SARS-CoV-2 protein.

SARS-CoV-2-NEMO
News Feature

After almost two decades of synchrotron experiments, Caltech scientists have captured a clear picture of a cell’s nuclear pores, which are the doors and...

The nuclear pore and its components.
News Feature

Researchers discover that a spot of molecular glue and a timely twist help a bacterial enzyme convert carbon dioxide into carbon compounds 20 times...

An illustration shows the pocket in an enzyme called ECR where the carbon fixing reaction takes place.
News Brief

Sandwiching wiggly proteins between two other layers allows scientists to get the most detailed images yet of a protein that’s key to the spread...

Red molecules are sandwiched between a blue inner shell and purple outer shell.
News Feature

SLAC and Stanford scientists used it to zoom in on an iconic RNA catalyst and a piece of viral RNA that’s a potential target...

A high-res 3D ribbon diagram showing the structure of part of an RNA molecule
News Feature

G6PD deficiency affects about 400M people worldwide and can pose serious health risks. Uncovering the causes of the most severe cases could finally lead...

News Feature

The study, done on a mild-mannered relative of the virus that causes COVID-19, paves the way for seeing more clearly how spike proteins initiate...

Illustration of a coronavirus spike
News Feature

No human cell can function without these tiny machines, which cause disease when they go haywire and offer potential targets for therapeutic drugs.

Illustration of molecular Ferris wheel moving protons