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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Protein Crystallization for X-ray Crystallography
Published on: January 16, 2011
Nucleation of insulin crystals in a wide continuous supersaturation gradient
Anita Penkova1, Ivaylo Dimitrov, Christo Nanev
1Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 11, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria. apenkova@ipchp.ipc.bas.bg
Abstract:
Modifying the classical double pulse technique, by using a supersaturation gradient along an insulin solution contained in a glass capillary tube, we found conditions appropriate for the direct measurement of nucleation parameters. The nucleation time lag has been measured. Data for the number of crystal nuclei versus the nucleation time were obtained for this hormone. Insulin was chosen as a model protein because of the availability of solubility data in the literature. A comparison with the results for hen-egg-white lysozyme, HEWL was performed.
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