Electron cryo-microscopy: observing life at the atomic level

Three electron microscopists were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their fundamental works and contributions in developing electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM) technologies for determining the atomic structures of biological macromolecules in solution. All three laureates have a background in physics but win the prize for chemistry, which shows the importance of interdisciplinary researches involving biology, physics, mathematics and computer sciences. This review gives a brief review of the development of cryoEM, and explains how it can be used to observe life at the atomic level.