Modern Uses of Electron Microscopy for Detection of Viruses

Abstract

SUMMARY Electron microscopy, considered by some to be an old technique, is still on the forefront of both clinical viral diagnoses and viral ultrastructure and pathogenesis studies. In the diagnostic setting, it is particularly valuable in the surveillance of emerging diseases and potential bioterrorism viruses. In the research arena, modalities such as immunoelectron microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, and electron tomography have demonstrated how viral structural components fit together, attach to cells, assimilate during replication, and associate with the cellular machinery during replication and egression. These studies provide information for treatment and vaccine strategies.

Quantifying chelonid herpesvirus 5 in symptomatic and asymptomatic rehabilitating green sea turtles

“…ChHV5 viral particles have been previously demonstrated via electron microscopy (EM) in FP tumor samples (Jacobson et al 1991). The concentration of viruses has to be high enough in biological fluid samples to allow detection using EM, however, and tissue samples must be large enough to contain area(s) of infection and permit EM preparation (Goldsmith & Miller 2009). In the current study, fluid sample volumes were too small to permit detection of viral particles via EM, and skin biopsy samples were too small to permit both DNA extraction and EM preparation.…”

Detection of Receptor-Induced Glycoprotein Conformational Changes on Enveloped Virions by Using Confocal Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

“…Furthermore, current available techniques for identification of viruses include transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (15), PCR (16), cell culture (17), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) (18). However, these techniques require complicated and/or time-consuming methods for sample preparation and relatively large numbers of virions for identification.…”

Innovation and Compliance in Making and Perceiving the Scientific Visualization of Viruses

“…unlike light microscopes that operate by diffracting light and which have relatively limited resolve power, electron microscopes use beams of electrons whose wavelength is about 100,000 times shorter than visible light photons. this enables levels of magnification that are millions of times stronger than those obtained with light microscopes (Goldsmith & miller, 2009). However, electron microscopes with such augmented capacity are neither userfriendly nor cost-effective instruments, and the operations required to capture the molecular content of viruses are labour intensive (Flegler, Jr., Heckman, & Klomparens, 1997;Villareal, 2005).…”

“…However, electron microscopes with such augmented capacity are neither userfriendly nor cost-effective instruments, and the operations required to capture the molecular content of viruses are labour intensive (Flegler, Jr., Heckman, & Klomparens, 1997;Villareal, 2005). they require a dedicated sealed environment and trained personnel to configure and calibrate the microscope and to operate its software (Goldsmith & miller, 2009;university of cambridge, 2012).…”