Coronavirus type 2, is a type of virus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome disease, whose acronym is SARS-CoV 2. This virus was responsible for the global health emergency that culminated in a pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic. This virus was first isolated in China, in the Wuhan region, its origin is zoonotic, that is, it is transmitted from animals to humans.
Antigen tests, which detect certain proteins in the virus, are used to diagnose COVID-19. These tests usually give results within minutes. However, in order to study its structure as such, it was necessary to use the microscope. The electron microscope is a very useful equipment in biology and biomedicine laboratories.
Electron microscopy in the study of viruses
The electron microscope, as well as the technique of electron microscopy, have been widely used since its invention in the study and characterization of viruses. For example, in 1948, it was possible to differentiate between varicella and smallpox viruses. The same thing happened with poliovirus, thanks to electron microscopy, in 1952 particles of different antigenicity could be observed. Similarly, the Ebola virus was identified and described through the use of electron microscopy. Between the 1960s and 1990s, advances in microscopy led to the discovery of many types of viruses, most notably norovirus.
In the last 25 years, many advances in this technique have allowed solving countless problems associated with medical virology, such as the discovery and identification of viruses such as Hendra in 1995 or Nipah in 1999, both members of the family Paramyxoviridae, as well as the knowledge of other viruses such as picornavirus or calicivirus.
Electron microscope in the determination of Sars Cov 2
The electron microscope is the cornerstone of the discovery and identification of new viruses. With electron microscopy, a lot of useful information can be obtained during the study of pathogens, such as the description of their structure, even without previous knowledge of the agent, as was the case of the COVID-19 virus. In addition to serving in the research branch for the description of viruses, it is also useful in routine diagnoses, to confirm or guide in the diagnosis of viral diseases. With the new technologies, electron microscopy is close to atomic resolution, 2D and 3D images can be obtained (with the help of bioinformatics), all this has allowed the knowledge that one has of the structure of viruses to increase.
The COVID-19 virus is not exempt from the benefits of the electron microscope, thanks to which it was possible to obtain images and subsequently characterize it. Although the first description of this type of coronavirus was made in 1965 by Dr. June Almeida, it was not until 1967 that, thanks to the use of the electron microscope, it was possible to obtain images of it for the first time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the electron microscope was a key equipment in its description, with transmission electron microscopy it was possible to understand the internal structure of the virus and describe the characteristic crown that gives its name. Likewise, it was possible to obtain the first images of the isolated virus. It is for this reason that the electron microscope is a fundamental equipment in the laboratories of biomedicine, since with them it has been possible, over the years, the discovery and description of new types of viruses that have affected humanity.
Kalstein-branded microscopes
At Kalstein we are MANUFACTURERS of microscopes, as well as different useful equipment in every laboratory, both for those dedicated to science and medicine. Our equipment is characterized by being of high quality and technology, at the cheapest PRICES in the market. In our microscope catalog you can find binocular, trinocular, inverted, biological, metallurgical, inverted, polarization and stereoscopic models. Our inverted biological microscope is characterized by: HERE
- The optical microscope or organic microscope is an instrument equipped with a lens and an eyepiece to improve the image of an object to perceive details.
- The laboratory microscope is used for routine use. It allows the infinitely small to be displayed with great precision and impeccable image quality.
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