Tag: Cryo-EM

Universal vaccine of the future

Universal vaccine of the future

Researchers from the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology have developed an innovative, modular nanoparticle that could become the foundation of a universal vaccine. By using a phage capsid and antigens derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, along with immune response-enhancing elements, the new technology allows for rapid adaptation of the vaccine to emerging pathogens. The structural part of the project was carried out at the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Laboratory at the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS.

Researchers have developed a nanoparticle is based on a phage capsid that has been devoid of its own genetic material and instead equipped with antigens derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus: specifically, the RBD (Receptor Binding Domain) protein. The research team, led by Dr. Antonina Naskalska, enhanced the nanoparticles with elements that could potentially boost the immune response: short, single-stranded DNA fragments or longer, coding mRNA sequences. The nanoparticle was designed in a modular fashion, allowing for the replacement of antigens displayed on its surface or molecules packed inside the capsid. The advantage of such a vaccine design lies in its ability to be rapidly adapted to an emerging pathogen or a new virus variant.


One of the key aspects of the presented vaccine prototype is the trimeric form of the RBD protein—identical to the form found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. An organism vaccinated with such an antigen has a greater chance of producing effective antibodies that, in the event of exposure to the virus, will protect it from infection. Demonstrating the trimeric form of the RBD antigen on the surface of the presented nanoparticles was made possible through structural studies using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), conducted at the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS.

Read more on SOLARIS website

Studying tRNAs by cryo-EM, biophysics, and computational modeling

Studying tRNAs by cryo-EM, biophysics, and computational modeling

In a pioneering study entitled “Determining the effects of pseudouridine incorporation on human tRNAs” published in EMBO Journal (Link 1), researchers from Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (Link2) of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Link 3), in collaboration with scientists from the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IIMCB) in Warsaw (Link 4) and institutions from the United Kingdom and France, have significantly advanced our understanding of how specific modifications in transfer RNAs (tRNAs) affect their structure and stability.

tRNAs are essential molecules decoding genetic information into proteins, fundamental to all living organisms. We know tRNAs as long as we know DNA, but historically structural studies of tRNAs have been challenging due to their small size and complexity. The published work shows the structure of four human tRNAs before and after the enzyme-mediated introduction of pseudouridine (Ψ), linking these modifications to enhanced stability and certain structural changes. The findings reveal that the incorporation of Ψ, which is also incorporated in recent mRNA vaccines, not only stabilizes tRNAs, but also induces significant local structural changes. In detail, interactions between the D- and T-arms of the tRNA were identified as critical for maintaining their overall tertiary structure.

“This study demonstrates the profound impact of RNA modifications on tRNA stability and function,” said prof. Sebastian Glatt (Link 5), the leader of this study. “Our findings not only enhance our understanding of tRNA biogenesis but also highlight the potential applications of engineered tRNAs for therapeutic purposes.” adds Anna Biela, the first author of the work.

Key results from the study include:

• The first cryo-EM structures of multiple unmodified and pseudouridylated human tRNAs.

• Clear evidence that specific pseudouridine modifications significantly increase the stability of tRNAs.

• Context-dependent impact of modifications, indicating that not all pseudouridine modifications are equally beneficial.

The study was possible owing to the interdisciplinary combination of experimental and computational analyses. It utilized the advanced single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) infrastructure at the Solaris Synchrotron in Krakow (Link 6), the Structural Biology Core Fcaility (SBCF, Link 7) at MCB, novel biophysical techniques developed by Jakub Novak, and computational modeling and simulations.

Read more on SOLARIS website