Down the Rabbit Hole

To look deeply into the structures of life, scientists use a range of inventive methods.
Here, we see one of the many small holes in a mist generator – an ultrasonic humidifier that has been adapted by WEHI researchers for use in 3D cryo-electron microscopy.
The black hole at the centre of this image is about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair.
Researchers spray fine mists of protein molecules onto a surface, which is then frozen and transferred into an electron microscope. The frozen protein molecules are photographed at a magnification of about 100,000 times to visualise their structure.
Knowing the structure of a disease-causing protein helps scientists develop precision treatments that can target exactly the right molecule, so patients will experience fewer side effects.