Visualizing genes: the possible dream
– science newsSeptember 2, 1972
Molecular biologists can now visualize the largest structures of the cell, such as the nucleus and chromosomes, under the powerful electron microscope. But they have not been able to obtain images of genes (DNA) on the chromosomes. They also haven’t been able to see RNA… or the intricate details of cell membranes, enzymes, and viruses.
To update
Electron microscopes have become much more powerful in the last 50 years. For example, in 1981, biophysicist Jacques Dubochet discovered that small biological structures supercooled with ethane could be observed in their natural state under an electron microscope. That finding paved the way for cryo-electron microscopythat scientists use to visualize proteins, viruses, and bacteria at the molecular level (SN: 10/28/17, pg. 6). Capturing detailed images of genes remains elusive, but scientists are getting closer. In 2021, researchers reported using an electron microscope and CRISPR/Cas9 molecular scissors to visualize proteins transcription of DNA instructions for two genes in RNA.