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Practical macromolecular cryocrystallography

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Abstract

Current methods, reagents and experimental hardware for successfully and reproducibly flash-cooling macromolecular crystals to cryogenic temperatures for X-ray diffraction data collection are reviewed. Cryocrystallography is an indispensable technique that is routinely used for single-crystal X-ray diffraction data collection at temperatures near 100 K, where radiation damage is mitigated. Modern procedures and tools to cryoprotect and rapidly cool macromolecular crystals with a significant solvent fraction to below the glass-transition phase of water are reviewed. Reagents and methods to help prevent the stresses that damage crystals when flash-cooling are described. A method of using isopentane to assess whether cryogenic temperatures have been preserved when dismounting screened crystals is also presented.

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75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITYANNEALINGCOOLINGCURRENTSDAMAGEGLASSMONOCRYSTALSPRESSURE RANGE MEGA PA 10-100SOLVENTSSTRESSESWATERX-RAY DIFFRACTION

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2015-05-27. Practical macromolecular cryocrystallography. https://doi.org/10.1107/s2053230x15008304

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