Deciphering Cellular Intricacies for Drug Discovery: A Synergistic Approach Combining Cryo-CLEM, Electromechanical Modeling, and AI-Guided Simulations.

Abstract

Biological membranes and their vesicular derivatives constitute dynamic nanoscale architectures critical to cellular function. Their electromechanical properties and molecular diversity govern processes ranging from vesicle trafficking and signal transduction to pathogen entry and organelle morphogenesis. While decades of foundational research have advanced our understanding of lipid bilayer assembly and membrane protein interactions, achieving a comprehensive, multiscale understanding of membrane dynamics, spanning molecular interactions to cellular-scale behavior, remains a paramount challenge in modern cell biology. This editorial presents recent breakthroughs at the intersection of three transformative domains: cryo- correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM), electromechanical theory, and AI-driven simulation, to elucidate their collective impact on resolving membrane complexity. By integrating structural insights, the innovations are revolutionizing the drug discovery pipelines by accelerating candidate screening, reducing false-positive rates, optimizing assay design, and implementing high-density library strategies. It also critically evaluates technical challenges while proposing an actionable roadmap to unify these modalities into cohesive workflows, advancing both basic membrane research and translational therapeutic development.