WRAIR’s Cryo EM Lab Delivers Near Atomic Visualization to Speed Military Medical Countermeasure Development

Photo By Jamie Livengood | Dr. Paul Thomas (HJF in support of WRAIR) is part of the team using advanced cry-EM technology to visualize pathogen-product interactions at near-atomic levels. The large microscope pictured here captures thousands of images of a particle, which are then computationally reconstructed into a 3D structural map. Photo courtesy of David Arthur, HJF.  

SILVER SPRING, UNITED STATES

11.24.2025

Story by Jamie Livengood 

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is leveraging advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) capabilities and expertise cultivated in-house to develop next-generation prevention and therapeutic medical countermeasures to protect the health of U.S. service members and ensure Force Readiness and Resiliency.

Cryo-EM capabilities, housed within the structural biology section of WRAIR’s Viral Diseases Program, involve flash-freezing fragile biological samples to enable imaging in a transmission electron microscope. This allows biological samples less than 0.5 micron in diameter to be preserved and imaged. The results are three-dimensional views of biological molecules at near-atomic resolution, revealing how antibodies bind to viruses, how vaccines assemble and how the immune response takes shape. These insights are transforming how military medical researchers design and refine new products.

“Before, when we made a new product, it was a clear liquid in a clear tube. We could know that it worked, but we couldn’t see exactly how it worked at the molecular level,” said Dr. Paul Thomas, a research associate who was instrumental in setting up WRAIR’s cryo-EM infrastructure. “Now, we can see what the product looks like at various stages, identify key features and problems, and make informed improvements.”

Since cryo-EM’s early pioneers won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2017, the transformative impact of the technique has been globally recognized; but cryo-EM labs remain a rare asset in the U.S., mostly scattered across universities and government labs. WRAIR’s cryo-EM lab is currently the only one in the U.S. Department of War (DoW).

The heightened precision enabled by cryo-EM technology is directly impacting DoW research pipelines. WRAIR’s cryo-EM team has collaborated on HIV, SARS-CoV-2, malaria, and Shigella projects with partners including the Uniformed Services University, WRAIR’s Bacterial Diseases Branch, and other defense laboratories. “For one broadly applicable vaccine platform, cryo-EM data helped determine how the molecule actually forms,” said Dr. Gordon Joyce, chief of structural biology at WRAIR. “That structural insight can refine the vaccine for DoW efforts.” Drs. Thomas and Joyce are with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), which supports WRAIR and the cryo-EM.

The impact of cryo-EM extends beyond countermeasure design to advanced understanding of immune responses to a pathogen or product. Joyce explained how his team has used the technology to see exactly where antibodies from vaccinated animals or people bind to viral proteins. “Now that we can see where antibodies are coming into contact with a virus, researchers can focus on vulnerable targets to prevent or stop infection,” he said. This information could reduce the time and uncertainty involved in developing effective disease countermeasures.

In the last year, the WRAIR team has produced roughly one percent of all high-resolution 3-D cryo-EM structural maps published globally, a remarkable level of productivity for a single military lab. These datasets support more than 10 U.S. military medical countermeasure development roadmaps for vaccines and therapeutics against an array of pathogens.

As the DoW modernizes its biodefense enterprise, WRAIR’s cryo-EM platform stands as a critical national asset, providing the clarity and efficiency needed to outpace emerging pathogens. Through continued collaboration and innovation, this capability ensures that the U.S. military remains at the forefront of global disease countermeasure development, sustaining the health and strength of America’s warfighters.

• Date Taken: 11.24.2025
• Date Posted: 11.24.2025 16:18
• Story ID: 552266
• Location: SILVER SPRING, US