European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD, England.
Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol. 2017 Jun 1;73(Pt 6):503-508. doi: 10.1107/S2059798317004181. Epub 2017 Apr 20.
Recent technological advances, such as the introduction of the direct electron detector, have transformed the field of cryo-EM and the landscape of molecular and cellular structural biology. This study analyses these trends from the vantage point of the Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB), the public archive for three-dimensional EM reconstructions. Over 1000 entries were released in 2016, representing almost a quarter of the total number of entries (4431). Structures at better than 6 Å resolution now represent one of the fastest-growing categories, while the share of annually released tomography-related structures is approaching 20%. The use of direct electron detectors is growing very rapidly: they were used for 70% of the structures released in 2016, in contrast to none before 2011. Microscopes from FEI have an overwhelming lead in terms of usage, and the use of the RELION software package continues to grow rapidly after having attained a leading position in the field. China is rapidly emerging as a major player in the field, supplementing the US, Germany and the UK as the big four. Similarly, Tsinghua University ranks only second to the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology in terms of involvement in publications associated with cryo-EM structures at better than 4 Å resolution. Overall, the numbers point to a rapid democratization of the field, with more countries and institutes becoming involved.
近年来，技术的进步，如直接电子探测器的引入，改变了冷冻电镜领域和分子与细胞结构生物学的格局。本研究从电子显微镜数据银行（EMDB）的角度分析了这些趋势，该数据库是三维 EM 重建的公共档案。2016 年发布了超过 1000 个条目，占总条目数（4431）的近四分之一。分辨率优于 6 Å 的结构现在是增长最快的类别之一，而每年发布的断层摄影相关结构的份额接近 20%。直接电子探测器的使用正在迅速增长：在 2016 年发布的结构中，有 70%使用了直接电子探测器，而在 2011 年之前，没有一个结构使用过直接电子探测器。FEI 的显微镜在使用方面占据了绝对优势，在该领域占据领先地位后，RELION 软件包的使用也在迅速增长。中国在该领域迅速崛起，成为美、德、英四大国之外的又一大国。同样，清华大学在与分辨率优于 4 Å 的冷冻电镜结构相关的出版物方面的参与度仅次于 MRC 实验室分子生物学。总体而言，这些数字表明该领域正在迅速民主化，越来越多的国家和机构参与其中。
