We are pleased to announce a publication that appeared in January in the journal Advanced Materials (IF 27.4, MNiSW points 200); the publication results from the collaboration between the Third Institute of Physics – Biophysics, Georg August University in Göttingen, the Lenny Reinkensmeier Institute for Nanophotonics in Göttingen, the Wrocław University of Science and Technology and our Institute.
On the Institute’s part, the co-authors are scientists working in the Laboratory of Bacteriophage Molecular Biology, Dr Zuzanna Kaźmierczak, Dr Paulina Miernikiewicz, and Prof Krystyna Dąbrowska:
Super-Resolution Goes Viral: T4 Virus Particles as Versatile 3D-Bio-NanoRulers.
Gallea JI, Nevskyi O, Kaźmierczak Z, Gligonov I, Chen T, Miernikiewicz P, Chizhik AM, Reinkensmeier L, Dąbrowska K, Bates M, Enderlein J.
Adv Mater. 2025 Mar;37(12):e2403365. doi: 10.1002/adma.202403365.
The publication outlines the innovative use of bacteriophage T4 as a biological nano-ruler, enabling the implementation of universal geometric distance markers for three-dimensional imaging in super-resolution microscopy. Among others, it was possible to visualize the structure of the capsid and tail of the virus with remarkable accuracy, achieving unprecedented detail in microscopic imaging. This paper provides a simple and versatile protocol that allows for the use of phage markers in many types of imaging. This work opens up new possibilities in testing accuracy and comparing 3D super-resolution microscopy methods – we hope it will become a reference for many research teams!