Researchers have developed a new method to take snapshots of a human cell’s protein-making machinery, known as ribosomes, in various stages of protein production. From this they could reconstruct how proteins fold during their synthesis.

Flu vaccines are based on antibodies that recognise proteins such as hemagglutinin (HA). Vaccine effectiveness is severely curbed by surface proteins on the virus mutating.

Applying this new technique to these types of proteins, researchers hope to develop their understanding of how they fold and develop a more effective vaccine.