Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Fully Autonomous Characterization and Data Collection from Crystals of Biological Macromolecules
Published on: March 22, 2019
Integrated software for macromolecular crystallography synchrotron beamlines II: revision, robots and a database
John M Skinner1, Matt Cowan, Rick Buono
1Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA.
Abstract:
This manuscript chronicles the evolution of software used originally to control a diffractometer at a macromolecular crystallography beamline. The system has been augmented and rewritten. A modular and carefully organized suite of programs now handles the whole experimental environment from a single vantage point. It provides automatic logging of the experiment and communication with the user, all the way from an initial proposal to perform the work to the end of data collection. This has included construction of a relational database to organize all details of the experiment and incorporation of a robotic specimen changer to provide automation for high-throughput applications.
Related Concept Videos
02:18X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...