UVC inactivation of pathogenic samples suitable for cryo-EM analysis.

ABSTRACT: Cryo-electron microscopy has become an essential tool to understand structure and function of biological samples. Especially for pathogens, such as disease-causing bacteria and viruses, insights gained by cryo-EM can aid in developing cures. However, due to the biosafety restrictions of pathogens, samples are often treated by chemical fixation to render the pathogen inert, affecting the ultrastructure of the sample. Alternatively, researchers use in vitro or ex vivo models, which are non-pathogenic but lack the complexity of the pathogen of interest. Here we show that ultraviolet-C (UVC) radiation applied at cryogenic temperatures can be used to eliminate or dramatically reduce the infectivity of Vibrio cholerae and the bacterial virus, the ICP1 bacteriophage. We show no discernable struct

SUBMITTER: Depelteau JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8752862 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature