Welcome
Introduction
Oxford Particle Imaging Centre (OPIC) is located in the Henry Wellcome Building for Particle Imaging and forms part of the Division of Structural Biology (STRUBI) within the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine.
The biosafety containment facility allows scientists to study pathogenic human and animal viruses, using a range of imaging, structural biology and biophysical techniques.
Latest publications
-
Structural basis for the neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by an antibody from a convalescent patient.
Journal article
Zhou D. et al, (2020), Nat Struct Mol Biol
-
Neutralizing nanobodies bind SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD and block interaction with ACE2.
Journal article
Huo J. et al, (2020), Nature structural & molecular biology
-
3D Correlative Cryo-Structured Illumination Fluorescence and Soft X-ray Microscopy Elucidates Reovirus Intracellular Release Pathway.
Journal article
Kounatidis I. et al, (2020), Cell, 182, 515 - 530.e17
-
Identification of common deletions in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.
Journal article
Liu Z. et al, (2020), Journal of virology
Focus of our research
To understand the biology of viruses and how they infect their host cells, it is important to be able to study the viruses in their infectious native state and also in their cellular context.
Groups in OPIC focus in studying structures of purified virus particles and virus host-cell interactions. OPIC houses state-of-the-art biosafety containment laboratories at ACDP category 3 and DEFRA 4 levels of containment. This facilitates the study of a number of viruses that are important to human and animal health.
Examples of our research
STRUCTURAL CELL BIOLOGY OF VIRUS INFECTION
Kay Grünewald - Our aim is a comprehensive picture of the functional interaction between viral protein complexes and cellular structures in the course of the infection. Viruses being studied include Herpes simplex virus type 1 and HIV. Read more
STRUCTURES AND HOST CELL INTERACTIONS OF EMERGING VIRUSES
Juha Huiskonen - We study the ultrastructure and cell entry mechanisms of viruses causing heamorrhagic fevers. Current focus is members of Arenaviridae (Lassa virus) and Bunyaviridae (Rift Valley fever virus). Read more
A PIPELINE FOR STRUCTURAL VACCINOLOGY
Dave Stuart - We use atomic resolution structures of viral particles to guide the design of stabilized vaccines. This ‘structural vaccinology’ approach is used for the development of a safe, synthetic stabilised virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccine for foot and-mouth disease virus and poliovirus. Read more
OPIC in a nutshell
Biosafety containment (ACDP3/DEFRA4)
Electron cryo-microscopy and tomography
Cell culture
Virus production and purification
Live cell imaging
Biophysical characterization
ACCESS
Access to this facility can be made directly through embookings@strubi.ox.ac.uk Please see Access Tab for pricing and further information.
Access for European researchers is also available through the Instruct-ERIC (pan-European Research Infrastructure in Structural Biology). Free at point of use through peer review.