New method to enhance images of the SARS-CoV-2 virus
Researchers report a method of removing noise from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images using probabilistic generative models.
Electron microscopy (EM) is a technique used to see viruses and their infection processes, allowing us to see how it binds to cells and spreads through the body. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can provide high-resolution images at the nanometer scale, but these low-light images generally have an abundance of noise. Images of viruses often appear flat or 2-dimensional.
Several noise reduction algorithms have helped improve image quality, allowing better interpretation of the data. For the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), EM images have also been used to reconstruct 3-dimensional (3D) images of the virus.