Technology that led to the recent Nobel Prize was critical in Purdue’s study of the Zika virus structure

Purdue University researchers Michael Rossmann and Richard Kuhn have been at the forefront of discovery with the help of a technology that recently led to a Nobel Prize in chemistry for three scientists. It’s called cryo-electron microscopy, a technology that allows scientists to see complex biological specimens, including viruses, at almost atomic-scale resolution. Rossmann, Kuhn and their Purdue research team earned international headlines in March 2016 when they determined the structure of the Zika virus, which was made possible using cryo-electron microscopy. It was a key breakthrough at a time when scientists around the world were frantically trying to control this quickly spreading virus which is transmitted by mosquito bites. “Purdue and these two researchers, in particular, can take great pride that we are on the cutting edge of research and discovery,” said Suresh Garimella, Purdue’s executive vice president for research and partnerships. “The most recent Nobel Prize winners played a seminal...