부산대학교 도서관

Determining optimal conditions for the production of well diffracting crystals is a key step in every biocrystallography project. Here, a microfluidic device is described that enables the production of crystals by counter-diffusion and their direct on-chip analysis by serial crystallography at room temperature. Nine 'non-model' and diverse biomacromolecules, including seven soluble proteins, a membrane protein and an RNA duplex, were crystallized and treated on-chip with a variety of standard techniques including micro-seeding, crystal soaking with ligands and crystal detection by fluorescence. Furthermore, the crystal structures of four proteins and an RNA were determined based on serial data collected on four synchrotron beamlines, demonstrating the general applicability of this multipurpose chip concept. Keywords: macromolecule; crystallization; counter-diffusion; microfluidics; seeding; ligand soaking; trace fluorescent labeling; serial crystallography; room temperature; protein structure; ChipX3.
1. Introduction Crystallography plays a central role in contemporary biology because it enables the visualization of the 3D architecture of biological macromolecules, which provides insights into their cellular functions and [...]