3DEM History and Genealogy 1968-2011
Welcome to the Web Page on the History of 3-Dimensional Electron Microscopy in Biology
Since the inception of the field of 3-Dimensional Electron Microscopy in Biology in 1968 there has been remarkable growth in the number of labs and scientists active in the field of 3DEM.
The aim of this website is to provide links to some of the original papers which spawned the field and reviews which have chronicled the subsequent development of the field. Several of these resources are published personal accountings by colleagues who were central in the field, and also narratives written especially for this project.
An attempt has been made to present a genealogy reflecting the original groups in the field and to show how the field has propagated from the few pioneer laboratories in 3DEM, and the interrelationships between them.
The genealogy data in the map has purposely been cut off at the year 2011. This arose because of the almost exponential rise in 3DEM activity since this date. We felt that chronicling the early steps of the development of the field would provide a valuable resource in understanding how the field evolved.
Here is a link to the criteria used for inclusion in the genealogy.
We rely on you, our colleagues, to make further contributions to the website and to guide us in the accuracy of the facts we present. Please feel free to contact us (Alexis, Martin, Ardan)!
Network Visualization
This is an attempt at an academic genealogy of the field of 3D EM and is a work in progress.
Academic genealogy: Frequently Asked Questions
This genealogy aims to record the growth of the field of 3D EM from 1968 to 2011
Who is included?
Researchers who hold or have held permanent positions and who have made a significant contribution to the field of 3D EM. PhD students, postdocs and other non-permanent scientists are not included. Tenure-track faculty are included.
Technical Staff with more than 5 publications in the field of 3DEM are also included in the list.
What do arrows signify?
Links denote mentorship. Typically, PhD supervisor – student and PI – postdoc relationships are denoted by links. If a person trained or worked in more than one lab, these relationships may be indicated.
Why are some nodes larger, more visible than others?
The choice of which nodes to emphasize aims to reflect:
- Those scientists who initiated the field of 3D EM
- The number of their academic “descendants”
- The fact that some researchers entered the field independently of others, in a sense becoming “first-generation” contributors
Why is X not included? I can see errors, can they be corrected?
Since there is no authoritative source for information needed to compile this genealogy we rely on feedback to ensure there are no omissions or other mistakes.
Development of the field of 3DEM
Publications related to the history of 3D EM
| David DeRosier | 3D reconstruction from electron micrographs a personal account of its development | Methods Enzymol. 2010;481:1-24 |
| Bob Glaeser | Review: Electron Crystallography: Present Excitement, a Nod to the Past, Anticipating the Future | J Struct Biol. 1999 Dec 1;128(1):3-14 |
| Ken Taylor, Bob Glaeser | Retrospective on the early development of cryoelectron microscopy of macromolecules and a prospective on opportunities for the future | J Struct Biol. 2008 Sep;163(3):214-23 |
| Obituary: Walter Hoppe | J. Appl. Cryst. (1987) 20, 324-325 | |
| Bruno Strasser, Jacques Dubochet | Obituary: Eduard Kellenberger (1920-2004) | Nature. 2005 Feb 24;433(7028):817 |
| Marin van Heel | Jean-Pierre Bretaudière (1946-2008) and the early days of multivariate statistics in electron microscopy | In: "An electronic text book: Electron microscopy in Life Science", 3D-EM Network of Excellence, Editors: A. Verkley and E. Orlova (2009) |
| R. Nuzzo | Profile of Chikashi Toyoshima | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jan 31;103(5):1165-7 |
| Aaron Klug | Aaron Klug - Autobiography | Nobelprize.org. 17 Jul 2011 |
| Don Caspar, David DeRosier | The 1982 Nobel Prize in chemistry | Science. 1982 Nov 12;218(4573):653-5 |
| John Finch | A Nobel Fellow on Every Floor | Book published by MRC/LMB |
| Anthony Crowther | From Envelopes to Atoms: The Remarkable Progress of Biological Electron Microscopy | Adv Protein Chem Struct Biol. 2010;81:1-32. |
| Viruses and the development of quantitative biological electron microscopy | Notes Rec R Soc Lond. 2004 Jan;58(1):65-81. | |
| Nikolai Andreevich Kiselev | Nikolai Andreevich Kiselev (On the Occasion of His 80th Birthday) | Kristallografiya, 2008, Vol. 53, No. 6, pp. 1149–1150. translated in Crystallography Reports, 2008, Vol. 53, No. 6, pp. 1091–1092 |
| Wolfgang Baumeister | A voyage to the inner space of cells | Protein Sci. 2005 January; 14(1): 257–269. |
| Arthur L Robinson | Electron Microscopy: Imaging Molecules in Three Dimensions | Science 1976 April; Vol. 192 no. 4237 pp. 360-400 |
| Jacques Dubochet | Cryo-EM—the first thirty years | Journal of Microscopy 2011; Vol. 245 no. 3 pp. 1-4 |
| Joachim Frank | Single-particle Cryo-electron Microscopy: The Path Toward Atomic Resolution/Selected Papers Of Joachim Frank With Commentaries (Series in Structural Biology) | April 6, 2018 |
Original personal narratives
These narratives were specially provided to this 3DEM history website by the authors below. We welcome further contributions.
| Robert Josephs | A profile of a researcher in the field of electron crystallography | October 2015 |
| Michael Rossmann | A short scientific autobiography of Michael G. Rossmann | September 2011 |
| Ondreij Krivanek | Ondrej Krivanek’s contribution to microscopy: Memories of an adventure! | August 2018 |
Other Links
Web of stories: video interview of Aaron Klug & Nobel interview with Aaron Klug
Contributors
Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the National Cancer Institute, NIH
Quick links
Recent Entries
(Show all)
Multi-body SSU head map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class3, E-site tRNA)
Multi-body SSU body map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class3, E-site tRNA)
Open Mtb-EC: Cryo-EM structure of Mtb RNAP elongation complex (substrate loading mimic) with an open active site (open TL and RH-FL)
SemiClosed Mtb-EC: Cryo-EM structure of Mtb RNAP elongation complex (substrate loading mimic) with a semiclosed active site (closed TL, open RH-FL)
CBR9379 bound Open1 Eco-ePEC: Cryo-EM structure of Eco RNAP his-elemental paused elongation complex with an open active site (open TL, SI3 and RH-FL)
AAP-SO2 bound Open Mtb-EC: Cryo-EM structure of Mtb RNAP elongation complex (substrate loading mimic) with an open active site (open TL and RH-FL)
Closed Mtb-EC: Cryo-EM structure of Mtb RNAP elongation complex (substrate loading mimic) with a closed active site (closed TL and RH-FL)
CBR9379 bound Open2 Eco-ePEC: Cryo-EM structure of Eco RNAP his-elemental paused elongation complex with an open active site (open TL, SI3 and RH-FL)
SemiClosed Eco-ePEC: Cryo-EM structure of Eco RNAP his-elemental paused elongation complex with a semi-closed active site (closed TL and SI3, open RH-FL)
Structure of yeast Pol II in complex with a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink lesion at the +7 position.
Structure of mammalian RNA polymerase II stalled by a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink lesion at the +2 position.
Structure of yeast Pol II in complex with a short control scaffold lacking cisplatin-ICL lesion.
Structure of yeast Pol II complexed with a longer scaffold containing a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink at the + 3 position.
Structure of yeast Pol II in complex with a longer scaffold containing a cisplatin-ICL lesion at +7 position.
Structure of yeast Pol II complexed with a longer scaffold containing a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink at the + 2 position.
Structure of yeast Pol II-Elf1 complex containing a cisplatin-ICL lesion at +7 position.
Structure of pre-translocation state of yeast Pol II complexed with a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink at the +2 position.
Structure of post-translocation state of yeast Pol II complexed with a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink at the +2 position.
Structure of backtracked yeast Pol II in complex with a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink lesion at the +2 position.
Structure of yeast Pol II complexed with a longer scaffold containing a cisplatin-induced inter-strand crosslink lesion at the +5 position.
Structure of yeast Pol II in complex with a longer control scaffold lacking cisplatin-ICL lesion.
Structure of yeast Pol II in complex with an oxaliplatin-ICL lesion at +7 position.
Structure of yeast Pol II in complex with an oxaliplatin-ICL lesion at +2 position.
Structure of yeast post-translocation state Pol II in complex with a cisplatin-ICL lesion at +2 position in the second ICL DNA sequence.
Structure of yeast pre-translocation state Pol II in complex with a cisplatin-ICL lesion at +2 position in the second ICL DNA sequence.
HIV-1 Gag (CASP1NCSP2p6) assembled with core encapsidation signal - tomography map
HIV-1 Gag (CASP1NCSP2p6) assembled with dimerization signal - tomography map
The complex of A1AT-NHK with the ERAD misfolded glycoprotein checkpoint complex from Chaetomium thermophilum (EDEM:PDI heterodimer).
HIV-1 Gag (CASP1NCSP2p6) assembled with core encapsidation signal - C6 symmetry
HIV-1 Gag (CASP1NCSP2p6) assembled with core encapsidation signal - C1 symmetry
Apoferritin with crossed laser phase plate (xLPP), xLPP-off, paired dataset
Apoferritin with crossed laser phase plate (xLPP), xLPP-on, paired dataset
Evaluating the Volta Phase Plate for Improved Tomogram Alignment in Cryo-Electron Tomography: structure of PP7 virus-like-particle without VPP (full dataset)
Evaluating the Volta Phase Plate for Improved Tomogram Alignment in Cryo-Electron Tomography: structure of PP7 virus-like-particle with VPP (full dataset)
Structure of the kinase and central lobes of human CDK8 kinase module
Cryo-EM structure of the bacteriophage N4 virion RNA polymerase (closed plug state)
Cryo-EM structure of the bacteriophage N4 virion RNA polymerase (open plug state)
Cryo-EM structure of the bacteriophage N4 virion RNA polymerase (transcription initiation complex)
Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class3, E-site tRNA)
Locally Refined Cryo-EM map of 2G12 IgG BCR receptor lacking Fab region view
Cryo-EM structure of the type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas effector complex bound to a cognate target RNA in the pre-cleavage state
Cryo-EM structure of the type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas effector complex bound to a cognate target RNA in the post-cleavage state
Cryo-EM structure of the type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas effector complex bound to a cognate target RNA in the pre-cleavage state
Cryo-EM structure of the type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas effector complex bound to a cognate target RNA in the post-cleavage state
Cryo-EM structure of the type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas effector complex bound to a non-cognate target RNA in the pre-cleavage state
Cryo-EM structure of the type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas effector complex bound to a non-cognate target RNA in the pre-cleavage state
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-B (eIF2B) with a truncation in the beta subunit (inactive state) (CASP target)
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-B in its apo form (inactive-state) (CASP target)
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-B (eIF2B) with a truncation in the beta subunit (active-like-state) (CASP target)
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-B in its apo form (active-state) (CASP target)
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-B (eIF2B) bound to the viral effector AcP10
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-B (eIF2B) with a truncation in the beta subunit (active-like-state) asymmetrically bound to the viral effector AcP10 (CASP target)
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-B (eIF2B) with a truncation in the beta subunit (active-like-state) bound to the viral effector AcP10 (CASP target)
2.3 angstrom cryoEM map of endogenous nucleosome core particle in nuclear lysate
Cryo-EM structure of human Tom70 in complex with Hsp90 C-terminal EEVD peptide
Subtomogram average of septal junctions from Nostoc PCC7120 FraD-TM
Echovirus 18 particle missing three pentamers in situ, symmetrized reconstruction (C3)
Cryo-EM structure of Gephyrin in complex with Darpin 27F3, revealing linker-E domain interactions
Subtomogram average of septal junctions from Nostoc PCC7120 wild type
Cryo-EM structure of Gephyrin E domain in complex with Darpin 27F3
Cryo-electron tomogram of septal region from Nostoc PCC7120 FraD-TM
Cryo-electron tomogram of septal region from Nostoc PCC7120 FraD-TM
Cryo-electron tomogram of septal region from Nostoc PCC7120 wild type
In situ chromatosome structure from primary human T cells (C2 symmetry applied)
Cryo-EM structure of human apoferritin at 1.81 Angstrom resolution(using CR-BIS data collection on Falcon4).
Cryo-EM structure of human apoferritin at 1.79 Angstrom resolution(using BIS data collection on Falcon4).
In situ subtomogram average of 80S ribosome (local refined with LSU mask)
Cryo-EM structure of human apoferritin at 1.65 Angstrom resolution(using BIS data collection on Falcon4i).
Cryo-EM structure of human apoferritin at 1.64 Angstrom resolution(using CR-BIS data collection on Falcon4i).
Cryo-EM structure of human apoferritin at 2.05 Angstrom resolution(using CR-BIS data collection on K3).
Cryo-EM structure of human apoferritin at 2.05 Angstrom resolution(using BIS data collection on K3).
Subtomogram average structure of human apoferritin at 1.98 Angstrom resolution(using CR-BIS data collection on Falcon4i).
Subtomogram average structure of human apoferritin at 2.24 Angstrom resolution(using CR-BIS data collection on Falcon4).
Subtomogram average structure of human apoferritin at 2.01 Angstrom resolution(using BIS data collection on Falcon4i).
Subtomogram average structure of human apoferritin at 2.28 Angstrom resolution(using BIS data collection on K3).
Subtomogram average structure of human apoferritin at 2.34 Angstrom resolution(using BIS data collection on Falcon4).
Cryo-EM structure of heteromeric Kir4.1/5.1 potassium channel in complex with Ehop-016
Subtomogram average structure of human apoferritin at 2.21 Angstrom resolution(using CR-BIS data collection on K3).
C3 map of the filament formed by the grappling-hook like protein A from L. aerophila
Cryo-EM structure of TRP melastatin channel in the intermediate 2 state
Structure of a membrane-bound inositol phosphorylceramide synthase and Aureobasidin A complex
C1 map of the filament formed by the grappling-hook like protein A from L. aerophila
In situ chromatosome structure from primary human T cells (C1 symmetry applied)
Cryo-EM structure of TRP melastatin channel in the intermediate 1 state
Cryo-EM Structure of Parabacteroide phage PD491P1 head-to-tail interface
Cryo-EM structure of the tail tip region of Parabacteroide phage PD491P1 (imposed with C3 symmetry)
Structure of the Choline Transporter BetT under Acidic Conditions
Cryo-EM structure of the tail tip region of Parabacteroide phage PD491P1 (imposed with C6 symmetry)
Dark-state structure of human medium-wave-sensitive cone opsin (OPN1MW)
Pre-active dark-state structure of human short-wave-sensitive opsin (OPN1SW)
Dark-state structure of human short-wave-sensitive opsin (OPN1SW)
Cryo-EM structure of the human UAP56-RNA - SAC3D1-PCID2-SEM1 complex
CryoEM structure of human 20S proteasome in complex with proteasome inhibitor CP-17
Cryo-EM structure of the human UAP56-RNA - LENG8-PCID2-SEM1 complex
Cryo-EM structure of the human UAP56 NTD - LENG8-PCID2-SEM1 complex
Cryo EM structure of hemagglutinin from Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) in complex with a single domain antibody
Cryo EM structure of hemagglutinin from Puerto Rico/8/1934-New York/55/2004 (H3N2) in complex with a single domain antibody
Sheathed flagellar motor structure with C1 symmetry in Vibrio cholerae
Bacteriophage 812 prohead II with the complete set of minor capsid proteins
C1 symmetry cryoEM structure of the soluble-WRAPed membranous portion of MspA (Mycobacterium smegmatis porin), dimerized along the native interface.
Escherichia coli transcription-translation loosely coupled complex (TTC-LC^walked) containing mRNA with a 39 nt long spacer, NusG, NusA, and fMet-tRNAs in E-site and P-site - Map 1a
Bacteriophage 812 prohead II with minor capsid proteins with partial occupancy
Mitochondrial Creatine Kinase in complex with uncompetitive inhibitor uci
Local refinement of bottom five actins for One Lmod2 at the pointed end of F-actin
Local refinement of Lmod2 and the two terminal pointed end actins for One Lmod2 at the pointed end of F-actin
Consensus map for Two Lmod2s and incoming actin at the pointed end of F-actin
Local refinement of both Lmod2s, incoming actin, and the two terminal pointed end actins for Two Lmod2s and incoming actin at the pointed end of F-actin
Local refinement of the bottom five actins for Two Lmod2s and incoming actin at the pointed end of F-actin
SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in complex with 4'-FlA nucleotide analogue
Cryo-EM map of Ascl1-E12a in complex with NRCAM nucleosome without scFv
CryoEM structure of AdhE spirosome from Clostridium thermocellum uncovered by visual proteomics.
Cryo-electron microscopy structure of PfRIPR bound to monoclonal antibodies RP.093, RP.073 and RP.063
Cryo-electron microscopy structure of PfRIPR bound to monoclonal antibodies RP.047, RP.057 and RP.035
Cryo-electron microscopy structure of PfRIPR bound to monoclonal antibodies RP.092 and RP.052
Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class1, A-, P-, and E-site tRNAs and mRNA)
Electron tomogram of the postmitotic nuclear envelope following acute Nup62 depletion
cryo-EM map of CH31 IgM BCR receptor representing immunoglobulin ectodomain, population 2
cryo-EM map of CH31 IgM BCR receptor representing immunoglobulin ectodomain, population-1
Cryo-EM map of CH31 IgM BCR receptor representing immunoglobulin ectodomain, population 3
In situ cryo-ET analysis of mitochondria and autophagosome contact in tauP301S Tg mouse cortical neurons
In situ cryo-ET analysis of mitochondria and autophagosome contact in tauP301S Tg mouse cortical neurons Supplementary 1
In situ cryo-ET analysis of mitochondria and autophagosome contact in tauP301S Tg mouse cortical neurons Supplementary 2
Transport and inhibition mechanisms of human glycine transporter 2
Transport and inhibition mechanisms of human glycine transporter 2
Structure of human Trpm4 in native lipid vesicles at 8 degrees celsius
Cryo-EM structure of macaque red cone pigment with Q114N mutation
Cryo-EM structure of macaque green cone pigment with Q114N mutation
Averaged protofilament of Heimdallarchaeales alpha/beta tubulin microtubule with a single seam
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Rrp12-A2
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Tsr1-1
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 Mut) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Rrp12-A1**
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Tsr1-2
Cryo-EM structure of the 90S pre-ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state A
Cryo-EM structure of the 90S pre-ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state B1
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Rrp12-A1
Cryo-EM structure of the 90S pre-ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 Mut) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state B1*
Cryo-EM structure of the 90S pre-ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 Mut) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state a
Cryo-EM structure of the 90S pre-ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 Mut) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state B1
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 Mut) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Tsr1-1*
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 Mut ) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Rio2-C*
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Tsr1-3
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 Mut) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Rrp12-A1*
Cryo-EM structure of the pre-40S ribosome (Enp1-Rrp12 WT) from Chaetomium thermophilum, state Rio2-C
Consensus map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class1, A-, P-, and E-site tRNAs and mRNA)
Multi-body SSU body map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class1, A-, P-, and E-site tRNAs and mRNA)
Multi-body LSU map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class1, A-, P-, and E-site tRNAs and mRNA)
Multi-body SSU head map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class1, A-, P-, and E-site tRNAs and mRNA)
Consensus map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class3, E-site tRNA)
Cryo-EM local map of 2 VRC35 Fabs bound to HIV-1 BG505 DS-SOSIP.664 Env trimer
Multi-body LSU map for Babesia divergens ribosome structure by single-particle cryo-EM (3D class3, E-site tRNA)
Cryo-EM local map of 4 VRC35 Fabs bound to HIV-1 BG505 DS-SOSIP.664 Env trimer