Beata Turoňová – Image Processing

Our software method development focuses on improving tomogram quality and integrating contextual information into subtomogram averaging routines.

We aim to facilitate in situ structural analysis by developing novel algorithms for cryo electron tomography and subtomogram averaging. Our software method development focuses on improving tomogram quality and integrating contextual information into subtomogram averaging routines. To ensure their robustness, the methods are tested on a variety of samples from virus-like particles (e.g. HIV, Sars-Cov-2) and real viruses (e.g. Sars-Cov-2, vaccinia) to very large macromolecular complexes (e.g. nuclear pore complexes). Our main goal is to allow for reliable and objective analysis of tomograms as well as macromolecular complexes.

Research Interests

Contextual subtomogram averaging

Most of the current effort to push the achievable resolution in cryo electron tomography focuses on methodological improvements on the level of subtomogram averaging. Valuable contextual information provided either directly within the tomogram or by other sources (molecular dynamics, mass spectrometry) is thereby often neglected. In our group, we explore the possibility to incorporate such information into various steps along the data processing workflow, thereby facilitating not only subtomogram averaging but also structural analysis on the whole tomogram level.

Quality assessment and improvement

In cryo electron tomography, the definition of data quality is ill-defined and can often only be evaluated based on the final outcome (e.g. attainable resolution of subtomogram averaging). We work on establishing an objective way to assess the performance of various intermediate steps within the typical processing workflow. Our ultimate goal is to obtain the best possible result by improving the quality of intermediate outcomes rather than increasing the total amount of data.

Open Positions

Currently we have open positions for Master student, PhD student, and postdoctoral researcher. If you are interested please send your CV and a brief motivation letter describing your background and particular research interests to Beata.Turonova@biophys.mpg.de.

Selected Publications

Zila V., Margiotta E., Turoňová B., Müller T.G., Zimmerli C.E., Mattei,S., Allegretti M., Börner K., Rada J., Müller B., Lusic M., Kräusslich H.G., Beck M.

Cone-shaped HIV-1 capsids are transported through intact nuclear pores.

Cell, 184 (2021). doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.025.

DOI

Turoňová B., Sikora M., Schürmann C., Hagen W.J.H., Welsch S., Blanc F.E.C., von Bülow S., Gecht M., Bagola K., Hörner C., van Zandbergen G., Landry J., de Azevedo N.T.D., Mosalaganti S., Schwarz A., Covino R., Mühlebach M.D., Hummer G., Krijnse Locker J., Beck M.

In situ structural analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike reveals flexibility mediated by three hinges

Science, 370 (2020). doi: 10.1126/science.abd5223B

DOI

Turoňová B., Mosalaganti S., Beck M.

Quality over quantity: achieving better resolution in subtomogram averaging using less particles

Microscopy and Microanalysis, 26(S2), 2514-2514 (2020). doi: 10.1017/S1431927620021868

DOI

Turoňová B., Hagen W.J.H., Obr M., Kräusslich H.G., Beck M.

Benchmarking tomographic acquisition schemes for high-resolution structural biology.

Nature Communications, 2020. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14535-2

DOI

Turoňová B., Schur F.K.M., Wan W., Briggs J.A.G.

Efficient 3D-CTF correction for cryo-electron tomography using NovaCTF improves subtomogram averaging resolution to 3.4Å

Journal of Structural Biology, 199(3) (2017). doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.07.007B

DOI

Turoňová B., Marsalek L., Slusallek P.

On geometric artifacts in cryo electron tomography

Ultramicroscopy, 163 (2016). doi: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2016.01.002

DOI