What is Electron crystallography?
'''Electron crystallography''' is a method to determine the arrangement of [[atom]]s in [[solid]]s using a transmission [[electron microscope]] (TEM). This method works in many cases where [[X-ray crystallography]] does not. The latter needs large [[3-D]] [[crystal]]s to work. [[Protein]] structures are usually done from 2-dimensional crystals (sheets or [[Helix|helices]]), [[polyhedron]]s such as [[Virus|viral]] capsids, or dispersed proteins. Electrons can be used in these situations, whereas X-rays cannot, because electrons interact more strongly with atoms than X-rays do. [[File:Tant-ED.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The clear differences between intensities of the diffraction spots can be used in crystal structure determination]] Electron crystallography is a method to determine the arrangement of atoms in solids using a transmission [[electron microscope]] (TEM). The method was invented by [[Aaron Klug]],<ref>Klug A. 1978/79. Image analysis and reconstruction in the electron microscopy of biological macromolecules. ''Chemica Scripta'' '''14'''. 245-256</ref> who won the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] for this, and his studies on [[virus]] structures and [[transfer RNA]], in 1982. The first electron crystallographic protein structure to be solved was [[bacteriorhodopsin]] in 1990. Since then, several other high-resolution structures have been done by electron crystallography, including the [[light-harvesting complex]],<ref>Kühlbrandt W, Wang DN, Fujiyoshi Y. 1994. Atomic model of plant light-harvesting complex by electron crystallography. ''Nature'' '''367''' p61.4 PMID 8107845</ref> and the bacterial [[flagellum]].<ref>Yonekura K, Maki-Yonekura S, Namba K. 2003. Complete atomic model of the bacterial flagellar filament by electron cryomicroscopy. ''Nature'' '''424''', p643 PMID 12904785</ref> ==Related pages== *[[Crystallography]] *[[X-ray crystallography]] *[[Spectroscopy]] == References == {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Electron Crystallography}} [[Category:Technology]] [[Category:Chemistry]] [[Category:Molecular