A micro-patterned silicon chip as sample holder for macromolecular crystallography experiments with minimal background scattering

DOI: 10.1038/srep10451
PMID: 26022615

Authors: P. Roedig (DESY) , I. Vartiainen (Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)) , R. Duman (Diamond Light Source) , S. Panneerselvam (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) , N. Stübe (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) , O. Lorbeer (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) , M. Warmer (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) , G. Sutton (University of Oxford) , D. I. Stuart (Diamond Light Source) , E. Weckert (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) , C. David (Paul Scherrer Institut) , A. Wagner (Diamond Light Source) , A. Meents (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Scientific Reports , VOL 5

State: Published (Approved)
Published: May 2015

Abstract: At low emittance synchrotron sources it has become possible to perform structure determinations from the measurement of multiple microcrystals which were previously considered too small for diffraction experiments. Conventional mounting techniques do not fulfill the requirements of these new experiments. They significantly contribute to background scattering and it is difficult to locate the crystals, making them incompatible with automated serial crystallography. We have developed a micro-fabricated sample holder from single crystalline silicon with micropores, which carries up to thousands of crystals and significantly reduces the background scattering level. For loading, the suspended microcrystals are pipetted onto the chip and excess mother liquor is subsequently soaked off through the micropores. Crystals larger than the pore size are retained and arrange themselves according to the micropore pattern. Using our chip we were able to collect 1.5 Å high resolution diffraction data from protein microcrystals with sizes of 4 micrometers and smaller.

Subject Areas: Technique Development, Biology and Bio-materials


Instruments: I02-Macromolecular Crystallography , I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography

Other Facilities: P11 at PETRA III at DESY

Added On: 14/06/2015 19:03

Documents:
srep10451.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Technique Development - Life Sciences & Biotech Structural biology Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags:

Diffraction Macromolecular Crystallography (MX)