BERWYN, Pa., Feb. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at the
University of Texas at Austin and the
National Institutes of Health created the first 3D atomic scale map
of the 2019 novel coronavirus. This breakthrough will allow for the
rapid development of vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and other
medical countermeasures. The researchers used AMETEK Gatan's
K3™ camera to map a part of the virus called the spike
protein, which it uses to penetrate host cells, allowing it to
replicate.
"Through single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, the
researchers determined the atomic structure of the spikes," states
Christopher Booth, Director of Life
Science for AMETEK Gatan. "This helps explain the virus's
resistance to antibodies used to disable similar illnesses. The K3
camera was the key detector used to determine the native structure
in record time."
"The K3 camera not only gave us great images that provided the
atomic-resolution structure, it also prevented data collection from
becoming a bottleneck, ultimately letting our team concentrate on
getting the structure as quickly as possible," said University of Texas at Austin Associate Professor
and lead researcher on the project, Jason
McLellan.
"We would like to congratulate all the researchers for their
tremendous efforts in driving this impressive breakthrough in such
a short amount of time," commented Narayan
Vishwanathan, Division Vice President for AMETEK Gatan. "The
Gatan team takes great pride in the value our advanced
instrumentation provides to critical life sciences
research."
AMETEK Gatan's technology is again at the forefront of
groundbreaking discoveries to understand virus transmission and
disease outbreaks. In 2016, Gatan's K2®
Summit camera, the predecessor to the K3, was the key detector used
to develop the first three-dimensional structure of the Zika virus,
which ultimately helped researchers better understand the illness
and potential treatments. Today, Gatan's next-generation direct
detection camera technology is once again being employed to solve
the most important problems as quickly as possible.
This research was published in
the journal Science and more information about this incredible
achievement is available from University of
Texas at Austin's story here.
About AMETEK Gatan
Gatan is the world's leading
manufacturer of instrumentation and software used to enhance and
extend the operation and performance of electron microscopes.
Gatan's products, which are fully compatible with all brands of
electron microscopes, cover the entire range of the analytical
process from specimen preparation and manipulation to imaging and
analysis. Its customer base spans the complete spectrum of
end-users of analytical instrumentation typically found in
industrial, governmental, and academic laboratories. The
applications addressed by these scientists and researchers include
new materials research, semiconductors, electronics, geosciences,
biological science, and biotechnology. The Gatan brand name is
recognized and respected throughout the worldwide scientific
community and has been synonymous with high-quality products and
the industry's leading technology. Gatan is a business unit within
AMETEK's Materials Analysis Division.
About AMETEK
AMETEK is a leading global manufacturer
of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with annual
sales of approximately $5.0 billion. The AMETEK Growth Model
integrates the Four Growth Strategies - Operational Excellence, New
Product Development, Global and Market Expansion, and Strategic
Acquisitions - with a disciplined focus on cash generation and
capital deployment. AMETEK's objective is double-digit percentage
growth in earnings per share over the business cycle and a superior
return on total capital. The common stock of AMETEK is a component
of the S&P 500.
Contact:
Jennifer McKie
jennifer.mckie@ametek.com
(925) 224-7350
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SOURCE AMETEK, Inc.