Orientation determination in the 3D reconstruction of icosahedral viruses using a parallel computer

Three dimensional image reconstruction from cryoelectron micrographs allows the capsid structures of icosahedral viruses to be studied. The most computationally demanding stages of the reconstruction process are those that find and refine the orientations of the virus particles. We have devised and implemented parallel solutions to the problem of determining these orientations. By enabling determination of the orientations of far more particles than previously had been possible, parallel processing methods have contributed to improvements in the quality of recent reconstructions