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Determination of Crystal Structures

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In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...

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$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

$Microcrystallography of Protein Crystals and In Cellulo Diffraction$

Microcrystallography of Protein Crystals and In Cellulo Diffraction

Published on: July 21, 2017

Crystallography without crystals. I. The common-line method for assembling a three-dimensional diffraction volume

V L Shneerson¹, A Ourmazd, D K Saldin

¹Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.

Acta Crystallographica. Section A, Foundations of Crystallography

|February 21, 2008

Summary

A common-line method can reconstruct 3D diffraction data for high-resolution structure solution. However, this technique requires extremely high photon counts, posing significant challenges for X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) experiments.

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Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

$Microcrystallography of Protein Crystals and In Cellulo Diffraction$

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Published on: July 21, 2017

$On-Chip Crystallization and Large-Scale Serial Diffraction at Room Temperature$

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Crystallization and In Situ Room Temperature Data Collection Using the Crystallization Facility at Harwell and Beamline VMXi, Diamond Light Source

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Published on: March 8, 2024

Area of Science:

Crystallography
Structural Biology
X-ray Diffraction

Background:

High-resolution structure determination is crucial for understanding biological processes.
X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) offer unprecedented brightness for diffraction experiments.
Previous methods faced limitations in data acquisition and processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the feasibility of a common-line method for assembling 3D diffraction data.
To assess the challenges and requirements for high-resolution structure solution using XFELs.
To investigate methods for overcoming Friedel's law ambiguities in diffraction data.

Main Methods:

Utilizing a common-line method to reconstruct 3D oversampled diffracted intensity distribution.
Analyzing two-dimensional diffraction patterns obtained from XFEL experiments.
Investigating the impact of photon counts and Ewald sphere geometry on data quality.

Main Results:

Demonstrated the assembly of 3D diffraction data suitable for high-resolution structure solution.
Identified Friedel's law ambiguities that can be overcome even with a flat Ewald sphere.
Determined that the method requires photon counts significantly higher than initially anticipated, posing practical limitations.

Conclusions:

The common-line method is theoretically capable of high-resolution structure solution from XFEL data.
The method's stringent photon count requirements necessitate extensive data collection, potentially spanning months.
Further advancements in detector technology and data processing are needed to overcome current limitations.