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Born on this Day Attention to Detail
19 July 2018

Attention to Detail

Since the very first microscope revealed a hidden world, countless gradual improvements have exposed ever-deeper layers. This procession of progress eventually led to the electron microscope, able to show the very atoms of materials. But the electron beam – used in place of light – destroyed biological material, limiting its insights to the inert world. Determined to see not just matter, but life, at the finest detail, Richard Henderson – born on this day in 1945 – managed to expose a protein from a plant cell’s membrane to a reduced electron beam and picture its structure according to how the electrons bounced off (left, from 1975). With 15 years more work and the advent of cryo-electron microscopy, which freezes samples to shield from the electrons, he determined the structure at the ultimate resolution. In the process he gave the world a new viewpoint on life, and earned a share of a 2017 Nobel Prize.

Written by Anthony Lewis

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What is BPoD?

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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BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.