Microcrystal Delivery
Microcrystal Delivery - Related Videos
09:09
Preparation and Delivery of Protein Microcrystals in Lipidic Cubic Phase for Serial Femtosecond Crystallography
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Cited by 20 •
2016
We describe procedures for the preparation and delivery of membrane protein microcrystals in lipidic cubic phase for serial crystallography at X-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotron sources. These protocols can also be applied for incorporation and delivery of soluble protein microcrystals, leading to substantially reduced sample consumption compared to liquid injection.
09:48
Microcrystal Electron Diffraction of Small Molecules
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Cited by 8 •
2021
Here, we describe the procedures developed in our laboratory for preparing powders of small molecule crystals for microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) experiments.
09:00
A Sample Preparation Pipeline for Microcrystals at the VMXm Beamline
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Cited by 10 •
2021
The signal-to-noise ratio of data is one of the most important considerations in performing X-ray diffraction measurements from microcrystals. The VMXm beamline provides a low-noise environment and microbeam for such experiments. Here, we describe sample preparation methods for mounting and cooling microcrystals for VMXm and other microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamlines.
07:26
Improving High Viscosity Extrusion of Microcrystals for Time-resolved Serial Femtosecond Crystallography at X-ray Lasers
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Cited by 27 •
2019
The success of a time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography experiment is dependent on efficient sample delivery. Here, we describe protocols to optimize the extrusion of bacteriorhodopsin microcrystals from a high viscosity micro-extrusion injector. The methodology relies on sample homogenization with a novel three-way coupler and visualization with a high-speed camera.
06:30
Intraductal Delivery to the Rabbit Mammary Gland
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Cited by 9 •
2017
Here, we describe a technique for the localized delivery of reagents to the rabbit mammary gland via an intraductal injection. In addition, we describe a protocol for visualization and the confirmation of delivery by high-resolution ultrasound imaging of contrast agents.
FAQs
The carrier medium keeps micron-sized crystals suspended and helps present them consistently to the analytical beam. Its role is especially important when individual crystals cannot be mounted for a conventional single-crystal experiment. By maintaining a flow or stable placement, the system allows diffraction data to be collected from many crystals rather than relying on one larger specimen.
A liquid jet transports suspended crystals through the beam, while a fixed support holds crystals in place for sequential exposure. These arrangements provide different ways to position samples for diffraction measurements. The choice depends on how the crystals are prepared and how the experiment will expose successive specimens to X-rays or electrons.
Serial crystallography builds structural information from diffraction patterns collected from successive crystals. Each crystal contributes measurements as it reaches the beam or is exposed on a support, allowing the combined data to represent the molecular structure. This approach is valuable when individual crystals are too small for conventional analysis or when the available material is limited.
Researchers first prepare micron-sized crystals in a carrier medium when a liquid-delivery arrangement is used, or place them on a fixed support. The crystals are then positioned so successive specimens encounter an X-ray or electron beam. Their diffraction patterns are recorded and used collectively to determine structural information from the sample.
Microcrystal Delivery is particularly useful when crystals are too small for conventional single-crystal measurements, when only a limited quantity of material is available, or when the material is radiation-sensitive. Presenting many small crystals expands the opportunity to collect usable diffraction data without requiring one suitably large crystal for the entire structural study.
The approach supports structural studies of catalysts, pharmaceuticals, proteins, and other chemically important compounds. It can reveal molecular structures from samples that are difficult to analyze by conventional methods, while reducing sample consumption through serial measurements. In chemistry, that broader access to structural information can support investigations of materials and molecules with limited or fragile crystals.