title: A method for screening the temperature dependence of three-dimensional crystal formation.
abstract: Temperature is an important parameter controlling protein crystal growth. A new temperature-screening system (Thermo-screen) is described consisting of a gradient thermocycler fitted with a special crystallization-plate adapter onto which a 192-well sitting-drop crystallization plate can be mounted (temperature range 277-372 K; maximum temperature gradient 20 K; interval precision 0.3 K). The system allows 16 different conditions to be monitored simultaneously over a range of 12 temperatures and is well suited to conduct wide (approximately 20 K) and fine (approximately 3 K) temperature-optimization screens. It can potentially aid in the determination of temperature phase diagrams and run more complex temperature-cycling experiments for seeding and crystal growth.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Landsberg
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Gee
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hankamer
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins