Viruses are major pathogens responsible for a wide range of infectious diseases that may lead to global pandemics. The understanding of structural underpinnings of virions, molecular mechanisms of infection and the pathogenesis of viral diseases is crucial for exploring prophylactic and therapeutic approaches for viral disorders. Though the latest developments in imaging techniques have equipped scientists with tools to investigate viral infections in unprecedented detail with multiple spatial and temporal resolutions, the unveiling of how viral particles dynamically interact with host cells requires integrations of strategies connecting the structural complexity with functional properties. Here, we aim to delineate (1) the diversity of imaging devices that have been applied in the investigation of viral morphology and structure, (2) the contribution of current imaging techniques in revealing features of viral life-cycle and the associated host reactions, and (3) the potential of imaging systems in the diagnosis and prognosis of viral diseases. This review provides an essential overview of bioimaging techniques in scenarios of viral infections and comes up with instructions of how to select appropriate bioimaging methods for virological studies based on specific objectives of investigations. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of microscopy imaging in promoting more insightful comprehension of complexities between viruses and hosts in the nano-scale range.

中文翻译：

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先进生物成像技术在病毒感染中的应用


病毒是导致多种传染病的主要病原体，这些传染病可能导致全球大流行。了解病毒颗粒的结构基础、感染的分子机制和病毒性疾病的发病机制对于探索病毒性疾病的预防和治疗方法至关重要。尽管成像技术的最新发展为科学家提供了以前所未有的细节和多个空间和时间分辨率研究病毒感染的工具，但揭示病毒颗粒如何与宿主细胞动态相互作用需要整合将结构复杂性与功能特性联系起来的策略。在这里，我们的目标是描述（1）已应用于病毒形态和结构研究的成像设备的多样性，（2）当前成像技术在揭示病毒生命周期特征和相关宿主反应方面的贡献， （3）成像系统在病毒性疾病诊断和预后方面的潜力。本综述对病毒感染场景中的生物成像技术进行了基本概述，并提出了如何根据具体研究目标选择适当的生物成像方法进行病毒学研究的说明。此外，我们还讨论了显微成像在促进更深入地理解纳米级范围内病毒和宿主之间的复杂性方面所面临的挑战和机遇。