Tackling the Bottleneck of Protein Crystallization: Practical Techniques with a Difference
This course was held prior to the Protein Crystallography Europe 2008 conference.
Course Description
Crystallization has always posed a bottleneck to structure determination by X-ray Crystallography. The majority of trials display one of the following problems: (i) No crystals, (ii) tiny, low quality crystals or amorphous precipitate, (iii) phase separation or, (iv) the most frustrating outcome: large, beautiful looking crystals that do not diffract at all.
This hands-on course will address each of the above problems by presenting a variety of techniques for both screening and optimization. It will highlight methods which can be used in cases where standard methodology has failed to produce quality crystals.
Benefits of Attending
Upon completion of this course you will…
1) Gain new ideas
2) Improve your crystallisation skills and techniques
3) Have a portfolio of techniques to try at your home laboratories
Course Agenda
The course will demonstrate 6-7 techniques which the participants will then be able to set up themselves with guidance from the tutors.
These will include:
• Rational strategies for crystallization
• Use of phase diagrams for optimisation
• Dynamic separation of crystal nucleation and crystal growth to improve crystal quality
• Control of crystallization kinetics in vapour diffusion and microbatch
• Crystallization in oils
• Use of nucleating agents
• Automation of crystallisation techniques
• Upside down crystallization and more….