Near-atomic resolution reconstructions of icosahedral viruses from electron cryo-microscopy

Nine different near-atomic resolution structures of icosahedral viruses, determined by electron cryo-microscopy and published between early 2008 and late 2010, fulfil predictions made 15 years ago that single-particle cryo-EM techniques could visualize molecular detail at 3–4 Å resolution. This review summarizes technical developments, both in instrumentation and in computation, that have led to the new structures, which advance our understanding of virus assembly and cell entry.