Looking at proteins in live cells with atomic resolution: From Science Fiction to Science Reality.

Recent advances in optical and electron microscopy imaging techniques have greatly expanded our abilities to study complex biological phenomena directly in cells. Here, I introduce yet another high-resolution in situ method and demonstrate how nulear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be used to obtain atom-level insights into the structures, dynamics and functions of proteins in cultured mammalian cells. Specifically, I showcase how in-cell NMR spectroscopy provides detailed information about the strutural transitions of amyloid proteins in the course of human neurodegenerative disease processes.