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X-ray Crystallography

The X-ray Crystallography platform provides access to state-of-the-art facilities and instrumentation for crystallization and crystallographic data collection of small molecules and macromolecules.

The X-ray Crystallography platform comprises two different working areas:

  1. The crystallization facility, with two dedicated temperature-controlled chambers, complemented by a crystallization robot with lipidic cubic phase attachment;
  2. The X-ray diffraction room, equipped with a four-circle single-crystal X-ray diffractometer and sample cryostat.

 

 

Team

Applications

  • Crystallization of small molecules
  • Crystallization of biomolecules and biomolecular complexes, including membrane proteins
  • Crystallographic data collection and processing from small molecule crystals
  • Crystallographic data collection and processing from biomolecular crystals
  • Optimization of cryoprotection conditions

Resources

  1. Dual walk-in temperature-controlled crystallization chambers (4 °C and 20 °C)
  1. Douglas Instruments Oryx4 LCP crystallization robot:
    1. sub-microliter scale (minimum 100 nL) setups in 96-well format
    2.  sitting-drop, hanging-drop, and microbatch configurations
    3. random and regular microseeding
    4. LCP dispensing with lipidic cubic phase attachment
  1. Rigaku/Oxford Diffraction Gemini PX Ultra single-crystal X-ray diffractometer
    1. Dual X-ray source (wavelength switching can be performed in as little as 15 minutes, for increased flexibility):
      1. Enhance Mo Ka with channel cut graphite monochromator
      2. Enhance Ultra Cu Ka with multi-layer optics
    1. Four-circle high angular resolution (0.37 Å for Mo, 0.78 Å for Cu) kappa goniostat
    2. Onyx CCD 165 mm area detector.
  1. Oxford Cryosystems Cryostream 700 sample cryostat.

Services

The X-ray Crystallography platform has an open-access policy and its resources are available to both the scientific community and the industry. Please contact us for access fees.

Two access modes are available:

  1. Equipment use only
    1. Upon mandatory training (provided on demand), users can book and use the X-ray Crystallography platform equipment at their own convenience.
  1. Contract services
    1. The X-ray Crystallography platform can provide an integrated service for the structural characterization of samples: crystallization, diffraction data collection, structure determination, and structural interpretation. Detailed cost estimates are provided on a per case basis.

Training

The X-ray Crystallography platform is only accessible to trained users. Specialised training is provided on demand.

The platform is regularly involved in graduate training (GABBA and PDBMC PhD programs).