Crystal Growth Trials
Crystal Growth Trials - Related Videos
01:25
Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization
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2025
Crystallization is a phase transformation process in which crystals are precipitated from a supersaturated solution or formed from other sources. During crystallization, atoms or molecules arrange themselves into a well-defined, rigid crystal lattice to minimize energy. Initiating crystallization involves manipulating the concentration of the solute and the temperature of the solution. Since crystal growth occurs when the ratio of concentration and solubility of the solute in the solvent – the...
09:23
Assessing Two-dimensional Crystallization Trials of Small Membrane Proteins for Structural Biology Studies by Electron Crystallography
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Cited by 7 •
2010
Evaluating two-dimensional (2D) crystallization trials for the formation of ordered membrane protein arrays is a highly critical and difficult task in electron crystallography. Here we describe our approach in screening for and identifying 2D crystals of predominantly small membrane proteins in the range of 15 – 90kDa.
06:26
Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
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2017
Here, we present a protocol to trigger an orientational transition of a liquid crystal in response to temperature. Methodologies are described for preparing a sample in order to observe the transition and the detailed transitional evolution.
12:29
Optimization of Crystal Growth for Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography
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Cited by 2 •
2021
Structural studies of biomacromolecules by crystallography require high-quality crystals. Here we demonstrate a protocol that can be used by OptiCrys (a fully automated instrument developed in our lab) and/or microdialysis buttons for growing large high-quality crystals based on knowledge of the crystallization phase diagram.
13:38
Synthesis of Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams as Cell Scaffolds for 3D Spatial Cell Cultures
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Cited by 9 •
2017
This study presents a methodology to prepare 3D, biodegradable, foam-like cell scaffolds based on biocompatible side-chain liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). Confocal microscopy experiments show that foam-like LCEs allow for cell attachment, proliferation, and the spontaneous alignment of C2C12s myoblasts.
FAQs
The central goal is to create supersaturation, a condition in which dissolved biological material is present at a level that can support crystal formation. When conditions also permit nucleation, initial ordered clusters can appear and develop into crystals. Researchers adjust chemical and environmental variables to establish conditions that favor orderly growth and produce crystals with useful quality.
Researchers commonly vary protein concentration, pH, temperature, salts, and precipitants. Each condition can alter whether supersaturation is reached and whether nucleation or subsequent growth occurs. Testing these factors systematically helps identify combinations that support crystal formation and reveals which environmental or chemical conditions may need adjustment for a particular biological molecule.
Crystal quality matters because the resulting crystals must be suitable for X-ray diffraction. Crystals that grow in an orderly way can provide data used to determine a biological molecule’s three-dimensional structure. That structural information can then help clarify protein function, molecular interactions, and mechanisms associated with disease.
A typical workflow begins by selecting a biological molecule and varying protein concentration, pH, temperature, salts, and precipitants across systematic experiments. Researchers then assess whether crystals form and whether their quality is adequate for X-ray diffraction. Conditions that produce useful crystals can be selected for further optimization, especially when the biomolecule is difficult to crystallize.
Successful crystals enable X-ray diffraction studies that determine the three-dimensional structure of a biological molecule. The resulting structural information can show how a protein’s form relates to its function and how it participates in molecular interactions. In biology research, these findings may also illuminate mechanisms of disease and guide further investigation.
These trials are useful when researchers need structural information about proteins or other biological molecules and when crystallization conditions are not already established. Systematic testing can guide optimization for challenging biomolecules by identifying conditions that support crystal formation. The resulting structures can support studies of protein function, molecular interactions, and disease mechanisms.