Microcrystal Formation
Microcrystal Formation - 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.
02:16
Solution Formation
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2020
There is no one solvent that can dissolve every type of solute. Some substances that readily dissolve in a certain solvent might be insoluble in a different solvent. A simple way to predict which substances dissolve in which solvent is the phrase "like dissolves like". This means that polar substances, such as salt and sugar, dissolve in a polar substance like water. In contrast, non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride. This selective solubility...
02:37
Standard Enthalpy of Formation
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2020
Enthalpy changes are typically tabulated for reactions in which both the reactants and products are at the same conditions. A standard state is a commonly accepted set of conditions used as a reference point for the determination of properties under other different conditions. For chemists, the IUPAC standard state refers to materials under a pressure of 1 bar and solutions at 1 M and does not specify a temperature. Many thermochemical tables list values with a standard state of 1 atm. Because...
FAQs
Supersaturation creates the driving condition for molecules to leave solution and begin forming an ordered solid phase. Nucleation establishes initial crystal units, after which additional molecules are incorporated into a repeating lattice. Separating these stages matters because conditions that generate nuclei are not necessarily identical to those that support continued lattice growth, affecting whether the resulting crystals remain small and ordered.
Changes in concentration, temperature, pH, solvent composition, or precipitant level can shift a dissolved biomolecule toward or away from supersaturation. That balance controls whether nucleation occurs and whether organized addition continues. Varying these factors therefore provides a way to search for conditions that produce ordered microcrystals rather than conditions that do not yield crystals.
Microcrystals provide an alternative when producing large crystals is challenging. Their small size still permits structural and biochemical analysis, including X-ray diffraction and related methods when the crystallization conditions generate sufficient ordered material. This expands structural studies to proteins, peptides, or other biomolecules that may not readily form large crystals suitable for conventional analysis.
A typical workflow begins with the biomolecule dissolved in solution, followed by controlled changes in concentration, temperature, pH, solvent composition, or precipitant level. These adjustments establish supersaturation, initiate nucleation, and influence subsequent lattice growth. Researchers can then use the resulting microcrystals for structural or biochemical analysis, depending on the organization achieved.
Because useful crystals can be very small, microcrystal formation supports screening many crystallization conditions rather than requiring a single large crystal from the outset. Researchers can vary solution conditions across experiments and identify combinations that produce ordered material. This makes microcrystals valuable for evaluating crystallization behavior efficiently before structural analysis or further biochemical interpretation.
When analyzed by X-ray diffraction or related structural methods, microcrystals can contribute information about molecular structure and its relationship to function. Structural results may also clarify interactions involving the biomolecule and support drug-design research. In this way, crystallization connects controlled solution chemistry with questions about activity, binding, and molecular organization.