In general, microscopy offers researchers a chance to see how a pathogen — whether it be a virus or bacterium — interacts with a human cell.

“We can look to see how it gets into a cell and what it harnesses inside the cell to make more of itself,” Fischer said. “We can get a lot of clues by looking inside a cell and also what happens when they escape the cells and begin to spread to other cells.”

“When you break down the basic science, you start understanding what things you may be able to target to prevent the success of the pathogen,” she said.

RML virologists and other researchers have been working seven days a week since the outbreak to put that science to work in developing vaccines and therapies.

“Of course, everyone wants that figured out today, but science doesn’t work that quickly," Fischer said. “It’s actually pretty remarkable how quickly things are developing with vaccines and potential treatments. I would hope at some level, by giving people a more tangible look at the virus, this is something that can be solved.