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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Growing Protein Crystals with Distinct Dimensions Using Automated Crystallization Coupled with In Situ Dynamic Light Scattering
Published on: August 14, 2018
How to use dynamic light scattering to improve the likelihood of growing macromolecular crystals
1Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Abstract:
Dynamic light scattering (DLS) has become one of the most useful diagnostic tools for crystallization. The main purpose of using DLS in crystal screening is to help the investigator understand the size distribution, stability, and aggregation state of macromolecules in solution. It can also be used to understand how experimental variables influence aggregation. With commercially available instruments, DLS is easy to perform, and most of the sample is recoverable. Most usefully, the homogeneity or monodispersity of a sample, as measured by DLS, can be predictive of crystallizability.
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