Scientific Achievement
First demonstration of cryo-EM averaging techniques to study amorphous vesicles at the one nanometer length scale.
Significance and Impact
The sorting and averaging techniques that are commonly used to study ordered structures such as folded proteins can also be applied to study amorphous structures at high resolution.
Research Details
- Approach was facilitated by sequence-defined peptoid amphiphilic block copolymers with ultra-low molecular weight dispersity.
- Peptoid vesicle membranes were divided into small segments which were then classified and averaged.
- Variations in membrane thickness within a vesicle are reported for the first time.
