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Bud Light
10 April 2016

Bud Light

The SINV virus causes the unpleasant sindbis fever common in regions of Africa. Here researchers look for clues to tackling SINV from its structure, using cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) to pick out surface details (top left, middle) and make a computer model (top right). But these are single snapshots – what if we could watch viral particles invading cells in real time? Enter the latest virus-spying tool – a fluorescent ‘tag’. A red fluorescent protein is genetically engineered onto the surface of the virus, partially highlighted in red in Cryo-EM images (bottom left, middle) and in a new computer model (bottom right). This new form of the virus glows cherry red under a fluorescent microscope, making it easier to see the effects of drugs on viral budding – where SINV, like many other viruses, wraps itself in diseased membrane ripped from one infected cell as it spreads to the next.

Written by John Ankers

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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