Collaborative detection of common lines in cryo EM images using maximum likelihood

This paper presents a maximum likelihood (ML) algorithm for detecting (shared) common lines between pairs of cryo-EM projection images. The algorithm is based on a global iterative detector in which we jointly estimate and classify common lines using the data from all projection images. We demonstrate by simulations that the algorithm improves the detection rate of common lines compared to state of the art methods, and operates well even with non white imaging noise.