Room-temperature macromolecular crystallography using a micro-patterned silicon chip with minimal background scattering.

ABSTRACT: Recent success at X-ray free-electron lasers has led to serial crystallography experiments staging a comeback at synchrotron sources as well. With crystal lifetimes typically in the millisecond range and the latest-generation detector technologies with high framing rates up to 1 kHz, fast sample exchange has become the bottleneck for such experiments. A micro-patterned chip has been developed from single-crystalline silicon, which acts as a sample holder for up to several thousand microcrystals at a very low background level. The crystals can be easily loaded onto the chip and excess mother liquor can be efficiently removed. Dehydration of the crystals is prevented by keeping them in a stream of humidified air during data collection. Further sealing of the sample holder, for example with K

SUBMITTER: Roedig P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4886986 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature