title: The use of a mini-κ goniometer head in macromolecular crystallography diffraction experiments.
abstract: Most macromolecular crystallography (MX) diffraction experiments at synchrotrons use a single-axis goniometer. This markedly contrasts with small-molecule crystallography, in which the majority of the diffraction data are collected using multi-axis goniometers. A novel miniaturized κ-goniometer head, the MK3, has been developed to allow macromolecular crystals to be aligned. It is available on the majority of the structural biology beamlines at the ESRF, as well as elsewhere. In addition, the Strategy for the Alignment of Crystals (STAC) software package has been developed to facilitate the use of the MK3 and other similar devices. Use of the MK3 and STAC is streamlined by their incorporation into online analysis tools such as EDNA. The current use of STAC and MK3 on the MX beamlines at the ESRF is discussed. It is shown that the alignment of macromolecular crystals can result in improved diffraction data quality compared with data obtained from randomly aligned crystals.
authors.affiliation: European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Sandor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brockhauser
authors.forename: Raimond B G
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ravelli
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D012645:Selenomethionine / Q000737:chemistry; D012984:Software; D017356:Synchrotrons / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012645:Selenomethionine; D014357:Trypsin
keywords: crystal alignment; data-collection strategies; kappa goniometer