Crystal Nucleation
Crystal Nucleation - Related Videos
07:39
Protein Crystallization
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2023
Protein crystallization, obtaining a solid lattice of biomolecules, elucidates protein structure and enables the study of protein function. Crystallization involves drying purified protein under a combination of many factors, including pH, temperature, ionic strength, and protein concentration. Once crystals are obtained, the protein structure can be elucidated by x-ray diffraction and computation of an electron density model. This video introduces protein crystallization and shows a general...
09:27
Protein Crystallization for X-ray Crystallography
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Cited by 71 •
2011
The 3-D structure of a molecule provides a unique understanding of how the molecule functions. The principal method for structure determination at near-atomic resolution is X-ray crystallography. Here, we demonstrate the current methods for obtaining three-dimensional crystals of any given macromolecule that are suitable for structure determination by X-ray crystallography.
11:41
Crystallization of Salicylic Acid via Chemical Modification
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2023
Source: Kerry M. Dooley and Michael G. Benton, Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA Processing of biochemicals involves unit operations such as crystallization, ultracentrifugation, membrane filtration, and preparative chromatography, all of which have in common the need to separate large from small molecules, or solid from liquid. Of these, crystallization is the most important from a tonnage standpoint. For that reason, it is commonly employed in the...
09:41
Visualization of Cell Cycle Variations and Determination of Nucleation in Postnatal Cardiomyocytes
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Cited by 5 •
2017
To distinguish cell division from cell cycle variations in cardiomyocytes, we present protocols using two transgenic mouse lines: Myh6-H2B-mCh transgenic mice, for the unequivocal identification of cardiomyocyte nuclei, and CAG-eGFP-anillin mice, for distinguishing cell division from cell cycle variations.
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
Supersaturation provides the driving setting, but a cluster must still overcome an energy barrier before it can persist. Clusters that remain below the stability threshold do not develop into crystals, whereas a sufficiently organized cluster can serve as the starting point for further crystal development. This distinction helps explain why nucleation is a decisive early event.
Crystal Nucleation can occur spontaneously within a solution or begin on a surface, particle, or biological template. These settings provide different locations for molecular or ionic organization, so the surrounding interface can influence whether stable clusters form. In biological systems, template-associated nucleation is especially relevant because it connects mineral formation with the structures present in tissues.
Changes in molecular composition and environmental conditions can alter crystal size, structure, and formation rate. These variables affect how molecules or ions organize and whether developing clusters remain stable. Consequently, experiments that control or compare these conditions can reveal which factors favor particular crystallization outcomes, rather than treating nucleation as an isolated event.
Researchers can compare crystallization under different molecular compositions or environmental conditions, then assess effects on crystal size, structure, and formation rate. This approach links controllable experimental variables to measurable outcomes. It is useful when the goal is to design a material, understand biological mineral formation, or investigate why mineral deposits develop.
In biomineralization, nucleation provides a way to connect molecular or ionic organization with mineral formation in bones, teeth, shells, and other tissues. Studying the process can therefore clarify how biological templates and local conditions influence mineral development. The same perspective supports efforts to control mineral formation when designing or analyzing biomaterials.
Beyond tissue mineralization, crystal nucleation is relevant to protein crystallization and biomaterial design. In protein studies, understanding the initial organization of molecules can support crystallization research; in biomaterials, controlling composition and conditions can help investigate desired crystal size or structure. It also offers a framework for examining pathological mineral deposits and their formation.