Umeå Maps Virus Factories via Cryo‑Electron Tomography
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Umeå University used cryo‑electron tomography to create 3D images of infected human cells, revealing how TBE virus remodels cells into virus factories.
- Langat virus was used as a safer surrogate for the dangerous TBE virus because it behaves almost identically in cells but is far less dangerous to humans.
- cryo‑electron tomography revealed the interior remodeling of infected cells, showing virus particle production adjacent to viral gene factories and their maturation from immature to mature forms.
- Bina Singh observed that a single genetic difference between two virus variants caused different maturation speeds.
- Lars‑Anders Carlson led the study, coordinating collaborations across Norway and the United States and leveraging the Umeå Center for Microbial Research's "Excellence by Choice" postdoctoral program.
- Nature Communications published the study in 2026, listing Selma Dahmane et al. as authors.
Why it matters: The detailed 3D view of virus factories gives virologists a concrete blueprint for designing antivirals that block replication or maturation, providing new treatment targets for tick‑borne encephalitis. It also validates cryo‑electron tomography as a powerful tool for studying dangerous pathogens without handling the actual virus, benefitting labs worldwide.
