MSU researchers map giant Samba virus, develop new antibiotics

As bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics, scientists are continuously researching new approaches to fight diseases. Scientists at Michigan State University have developed a retrofitted cryo-electron microscope to map the giant Samba virus and advance research on new antibiotic treatments.

While the Samba virus does not cause any diseases in humans, the related mimivirus is responsible for respiratory problems. The ability to map this family of giant organisms allows for researchers to expand upon the current research conducted in finding new antibiotic treatments. Using the Cryo-EM system, researchers were able to map the entirety of the giant virus, which was impossible with standard microscopes.

"If the common cold virus is scaled to the size of a ladder, then the giant Samba virus is bigger than the Washington Monument," said Kristin Parent, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and co-author of a paper in Viruses. "Cryo-EM allowed us to map this virus' structure and observe the proteins it uses to enter, or attack, cells."

Scientists were able to attach a Direct Electron DE-20 detector, a powerful camera, to the Cryo-EM to revel how the Samba virus enters an amoeba, which is vital in understanding how the disease spreads, as well as its showing the virus's full structure. The advanced visualization opens the door for studying the complex interaction between virus and cells, improving the development of antibiotics.

"If you scoop up a handful of water from Lake Michigan, you are literally holding more viruses than there are people on the planet," said Parent. "While scientists can't study every virus on Earth, the insights we glean from viruses like the giant Samba can help us understand the mechanisms of other viruses in its family, how they thrive and how we can attack them."