title: Towards rationalization of crystallization screening for small- to medium-sized academic laboratories: the PACT/JCSG+ strategy.
abstract: A crystallization screening process is presented that was developed for a small academic laboratory. Its underlying concept is to combine sparse-matrix screening with systematic screening in a minimum number of crystallization conditions. The sparse-matrix screen is the cherry-picked combination of conditions from the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) extended using conditions from other screens. Its aim is to maximize the coverage of crystallization parameter space with no redundancy. The systematic screen, a pH-, anion- and cation-testing (PACT) screen, aims to decouple the components of each condition and to provide information about the protein, even in the absence of crystals, rather than cover a wide crystallization space. This screening strategy is combined with nanolitre-volume dispensing hardware and a small but practical experiment-tracking system. The screens have been tested both at the NKI and in other laboratories and it is concluded that they provide a useful minimal screening strategy.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meged
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Marouane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Jelloul
authors.forename: Joel L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sussman
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: Anastassis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perrakis
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000838:Anions; D001331:Automation; D002412:Cations; D002621:Chemistry / Q000379:methods*; D056246:Chemistry, Analytic / Q000379:methods*; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D030562:Databases, Protein; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007753:Laboratories; D011506:Proteins; D012107:Research Design; D012984:Software; D014495:Universities
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D002412:Cations; D011506:Proteins