In news

Researchers in the country would soon have access to four Cryogenic-Electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) facilities paving the way towards the establishment of leadership in structural biology, enzymology, and drug discovery to combat new and emerging diseases.

Highlights

• Cryo-EM has revolutionized structural investigations of macromolecules in recent times.
• It is a testimonial for a revolutionary technology for structural biologists, chemical biologists, and ligand discovery, which has gained a clear edge over contemporary x-ray crystallography.
• In light of these advancements, the cryo-electron microscopy technique was recognized with the Nobel Prize for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution (2017).
• The revolution in resolution resulted in atomic-level understanding of the Zika virus surface proteins, thus aiding structure-based drug discovery, deciphering of structure of hard-to-crystallize membrane proteins and other macromolecular complexes.
• Housed with 200kV machines have added advantages like lesser maintenance and can help generate human resources through training, which can also help sustain the facility for longer duration. 

Way Forward

• While IIT Chennai will focus on nano-biointerfaces (e.g. materials–microbes, materials–human tissue), IIT Bombay will execute research on ribosome translation and its implication in disease and antibiotic resistance, neurodegenerative disorders and tackle problems to address solutions to cancer, membrane structure, composition, dynamics & transport.
• IIT Kanpur will conduct research focused on macromolecular structures and drug discovery with a specific focus on membrane proteins, and Bose Institute, Kolkata will focus on transforming the structure-guided drug discovery and therapeutics research for communicable and non-communicable diseases, allosteric drugs, transcription, and epigenetics.

Background

• The first national cryo-EM facility was established at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in 2017 and then subsequently in IISc, Bangaluru, and RCB Faridabad. However, it was felt that the existing cryo-EM research facilities in the country are not adequate to leave a mark at the global stage.
• Given significant advances in cryo-EM of large structures, SERB has taken the responsibility that concerted funding should be provided to establish leadership in this area to enable and empower Indian researchers to lead from the front.

Source: PIB