The prospects of protein nanocrystallography.
The miniaturization of protein crystallography's experimental method has several advantages. Firstly, it reduces the amount of protein required for identifying crystallization conditions, allowing crystallographic studies of rare natural proteins and complexes. Secondly, higher levels of supersaturation can be obtained in very small volumes, allowing the exploration of additional crystallization conditions. Thirdly, there are indications that protein crystals grown in very small volumes may be better ordered. Fourthly, miniaturization and automation go hand in hand, opening the prospects of easier and more reproducible experimentation. Progress in the development of nanocrystallography is discussed and the remaining bottlenecks are highlighted.
Bodenstaff
E Rene
ER
Department of Biophysical and Structural Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Hoedemaeker
Flip J
FJ
Kuil
Maxim E
ME
de Vrind
Hans P M
HP
Abrahams
Jan Pieter
JP
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003460:Crystallization; D003461:Crystallography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D010063:Ovum / Q000201:enzymology; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
D011506:Proteins; D009113:Muramidase