2013/06/20
Abrescia's group has recently published its new book-chapter: Combined Approaches to Study Virus Structures
Nicola Abrescia, Ikerbasque Research Professor and PI at the Structural Biology Unit at CIC bioGUNE has led the accomplishment of an exhaustive book-chapter on the hybridization of methods to determine the three-dimensional structure of viruses.
This book-chapter has benefited from the contributions of Dr. Hanna M. Oksanen (Institute of Biotechnology and Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland) and Prof. David I. Stuart (Division of Structural Biology, The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford and Diamond Light Source Ltd, UK).
Book-chapter abstract:
A virus particle must work as a safe box for protecting its genome, but at the same time it has to undergo dramatic conformational changes in order to preserve itself by propagating in a cell infection. Thus, viruses are miniaturized wonders whose structural complexity requires them to be investigated by a combination of different techniques that can tackle both static and dynamic processes. In this chapter we will illustrate how major structural techniques such as X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy have been and can be combined with other techniques to determine the structure of complex viruses. The power of these hybrid method approaches are revealed through the various examples provided.
About the book "Structure and Physics of Viruses":
The book is an advanced textbook based on a clear explanation of the basic techniques and concepts in structural and physical virology. It is aimed at an audience of both Ph.D. students and junior and senior physicists and biologists interested in viruses.
A particular aspect of this book is that it is a joint effort of a group of researchers in structural or physical virology who have been collaborating and/or belong to the Red Española Interdisciplinar de Biofisica de los Virus (BioFiViNet).
The book is edited by Mauricio G. Mateu and published by Springer.