Innovations in Biotechnology and Medical Sciences

Magnetic Isolation and Concentration Cryo-electron Microscopy (MagIC)

Why in the news?

Researchers from Rockefeller University introduced MagIC, a new method that allows cryo-EM to work with samples up to 100 times more dilute, making it easier to study rare or hard-to-purify molecules.

About Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM):

  • Cryo-EM is a powerful microscope method used by scientists to see the 3D shapes of very small things like proteins, viruses, and cell parts.
  • In cryo-EM:
    • The sample is frozen very fast to keep it in its natural shape.
    • An electron beam is used instead of light to capture detailed images at extremely cold temperatures.
  • It helps in:
    • Understanding how diseases work
    • Designing new medicines
    • Studying cell processes
  • Problem: Cryo-EM usually needs a lot of the molecule to work well.
    • If the sample is too dilute (too weak), it’s hard to get good images.
  • Why MagIC helps: It solves this big problem by concentrating and organizing particles using magnetism and smart software, making cryo-EM work even for rare or tiny amounts of molecules.

What is MagIC (Magnetic Isolation and Concentration cryo-EM)?

  • Overview: It is a new method developed by scientists in the U.S. to make it easier to study rare biological molecules under a special microscope called cryo-EM.
  • Sampling involved: Normally, cryo-EM needs the molecules in a sample to be very concentrated, which is hard when the molecules are rare or hard to collect.
  • MagIC solves this problem by using:
    • Tiny magnetic beads (50 nanometers wide) that stick to the molecules researchers want to study.
    • A magnet that pulls these beads together into one area.
  • This way, even when the solution has less than 0.0005 milligrams per milliliter of the molecules, scientists can still get useful images.

Key Features of MagIC:

  • Magnetic Pulling: After molecules stick to the tiny magnetic beads, a magnet pulls them into clusters, making them easier to see.
  • Low Sample Requirement: Only 5 nanograms of sample per grid are needed. That’s a very tiny amount—much less than earlier methods.
  • Faster Imaging: The magnetic beads are easy to see, so scientists can quickly find areas with useful particles in the microscope.
  • Smart Software – DuSTER (Duplicated Selection to Exclude Rubbish):
    • It helps remove bad or blurry images and keep only the clear ones.
    • It picks each particle twice and only keeps it if the location matches both times.
  • MagIC works with samples that are 100 times more dilute than what cryo-EM could handle before.
[UPSC 2023] ‘Aerial metagenomics’ best refers to which one of the following situations?

Options: (a) Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go* (b) Understanding the genetic makeup of avian species of a habitat (c) Using air-borne devices to colect blood samples from moving animals (d) Sending drones to inaccessible areas to collect plant and animal samples from land surfaces and water bodies

 

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