加州大学伯克利分校研究人员开发了一项突破性的激光相位板技术，大幅增强了冷冻电镜（cryo-EM）的成像能力。1这一技术通过极其强大的聚焦激光与电子束相互作用，改变电子束的相位来提高图像对比度，使科学家能够观察到传统显微镜无法捕捉的小型蛋白质。1该激光相位板采用75千瓦功率的连续激光，聚焦范围仅为几微米，是迄今最亮的连续激光焦点。1
传统冷冻电镜在成像小于约70千瓦的蛋白质方面存在困难，而这类蛋白质占人类蛋白质组的约90%。1新技术将蛋白质成像范围扩展至50千瓦，未来有望达到17千瓦（肌红蛋白大小）。1这意味着科学家可能首次观察到细胞内分子机器的相互作用方式。1
该项研究由Holger Müller教授领导开发，历时15年，1并获得美国国立卫生研究院的部分支持。1研究成果于2026年10月22日发表在《科学》杂志第393卷第6807期。1此外，Biohub正在建造配备双激光系统的相关显微镜，与Thermo Fisher Scientific合作推进这一技术的应用。1
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a groundbreaking laser phase plate technology that significantly enhances the imaging capabilities of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).1 The innovation employs an exceptionally powerful focused laser interacting with electron beams to alter their phase and improve image contrast, enabling scientists to visualize small proteins that traditional microscopes cannot effectively capture.1 This advancement could allow researchers to observe for the first time how molecular machines inside cells interact with one another.1
The laser phase plate operates using a 75-kilowatt continuous laser focused to just a few micrometers, representing the brightest continuous laser focus ever achieved.1 Conventional cryo-EM systems struggle to image proteins smaller than approximately 70 kilodaltons, which comprise roughly 90 percent of the human proteome.1 The new technology expands the protein imaging range to 50 kilodaltons, with potential future extension down to 17 kilodaltons—the size of myoglobin.1
Led by Professor Holger Müller over a 15-year development period, the research was published on October 22, 2026, in Science journal, volume 393, issue 6807.1 The work received partial support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).1 Additionally, the Biohub is constructing a related microscope equipped with a dual-laser system in collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific.1
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