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:
- The crystallization facility, with two dedicated temperature-controlled chambers, complemented by a crystallization robot with lipidic cubic phase attachment;
- The X-ray diffraction room, equipped with a four-circle single-crystal X-ray diffractometer and sample cryostat.
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
- Dual walk-in temperature-controlled crystallization chambers (4 °C and 20 °C)
- Douglas Instruments Oryx4 LCP crystallization robot:
- sub-microliter scale (minimum 100 nL) setups in 96-well format
- sitting-drop, hanging-drop, and microbatch configurations
- random and regular microseeding
- LCP dispensing with lipidic cubic phase attachment
- Rigaku/Oxford Diffraction Gemini PX Ultra single-crystal X-ray diffractometer
- Dual X-ray source (wavelength switching can be performed in as little as 15 minutes, for increased flexibility):
- Enhance Mo Ka with channel cut graphite monochromator
- Enhance Ultra Cu Ka with multi-layer optics
- Dual X-ray source (wavelength switching can be performed in as little as 15 minutes, for increased flexibility):
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- Four-circle high angular resolution (0.37 Å for Mo, 0.78 Å for Cu) kappa goniostat
- Onyx CCD 165 mm area detector.
- 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:
- Equipment use only
- Upon mandatory training (provided on demand), users can book and use the X-ray Crystallography platform equipment at their own convenience.
- Contract services
- 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).