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

An extension of the Stanford Research Computing Facility will host several data centers to handle the unprecedented data streams that will be produced by a new generation of scientific projects.

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 for COVID-19 treatments.

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 infections, with an eye to preventing and treating them.

The lab’s X-ray laser recently joined other facilities in making remote science possible from any corner of the world, a trend that will likely continue into the future.

The center complements other NIH centers at SLAC and elsewhere that broaden access to this cutting-edge technology for biomedical research.

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