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Related Concept Videos

Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria01:10

Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria

Recrystallization is a purification technique used to separate impurities from solid compounds. In this technique, no chemical reactions occur. Instead, it exploits physical properties only, specifically, the solubility differences between the desired compound and impurities, either at a single temperature or at different temperatures, and under other selected conditions. The solid-solution equilibrium (solubility equilibrium) of each component in the solution represents a binary phase...
Washing, Drying, and Ignition of Precipitates00:52

Washing, Drying, and Ignition of Precipitates

After filtration, the precipitate is washed to remove coprecipitated impurities and any remaining mother liquor. Colloidal precipitates, such as silver chloride, are washed with an electrolyte (such as dilute nitric acid) to prevent the peptization of the precipitate. In the case of slightly soluble precipitates, the wash solution contains a common ion to reduce solubility. Lead sulfate, which is slightly soluble in water, is washed with dilute sulfuric acid. Similarly, wash solutions may be...
Precipitate Formation and Particle Size Control01:16

Precipitate Formation and Particle Size Control

In precipitation gravimetry, the precipitating agent should react specifically or selectively with the analyte. While a specific reagent reacts with the analyte alone, a selective reagent can react with a limited number of chemical species.
The obtained precipitate should be either a pure substance of known composition or easily converted to one by a simple process, such as ignition or drying. In addition, the precipitate should be insoluble and easily filterable. In general, filterability...
Precipitation Processes01:12

Precipitation Processes

The experimental conditions in a gravimetric analysis should be optimized to maximize the particle size and purity of the obtained precipitate. Ideally, the concentration of the precipitating reagent should be low with effective stirring to maintain low relative supersaturation for the growth of large crystals. In homogeneous precipitation, the precipitant is slowly generated by a chemical reaction in the solution to avoid local reagent excesses. For example, urea decomposes gradually to...
Gravimetry: Inorganic And Organic Precipitating Agents00:49

Gravimetry: Inorganic And Organic Precipitating Agents

In gravimetry, the precipitant is chosen carefully to obtain a pure solid that can be easily filtered. Common inorganic precipitants can be used to determine several cations and anions. In some cases, the formation of the same precipitate can be used to determine the cation and the anion. For example, the reaction of barium and chromate ions to give barium chromate is used to determine both barium and chromate. However, precipitates such as hydroxides, oxalates, and metal ammonium phosphates...
Types of Coprecipitation01:10

Types of Coprecipitation

Coprecipitation is the contamination of a precipitate by otherwise soluble species and occurs via different processes. In colloidal precipitates, coprecipitation occurs via surface adsorption. For instance, barium sulfate has a primary layer of adsorbed barium ions and a secondary layer of nitrate counterions. This results in contamination of the precipitate by barium nitrate.
Sometimes, ions in a crystal lattice can undergo isomorphous replacement by inclusions of similar charge and size. For...

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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

High-Throughput Screening to Obtain Crystal Hits for Protein Crystallography
06:19

High-Throughput Screening to Obtain Crystal Hits for Protein Crystallography

Published on: March 10, 2023

A crystallization screen based on alternative polymeric precipitants.

Clemens Grimm1, Ashwin Chari, Klaus Reuter

  • 1Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Biozentrum der Universität Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany. clemens.grimm@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de

Acta Crystallographica. Section D, Biological Crystallography
|June 3, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces novel crystallization conditions using alternative polymers to improve protein and complex crystallization. A new 96-condition screen is proposed to complement existing commercial screens for better results.

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Automated Protocols for Macromolecular Crystallization at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Published on: January 24, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Structural Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Crystallography

Background:

  • Commercial crystallization screens predominantly use inorganic salts and polyethylene glycols (PEGs).
  • Existing screens are often inadequate for crystallizing multimeric proteins and protein-nucleic acid complexes.
  • PEG's prevalence in standard screens leads to redundant sampling of crystallization space.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop improved crystallization screening conditions for challenging protein targets.
  • To overcome limitations of current commercial screens by exploring alternative precipitants.
  • To create a complementary screening set for enhanced crystallization success.

Main Methods:

  • Devised 288 crystallization conditions using diverse polymeric precipitants.
  • Tested the novel conditions against 20 different protein and protein-nucleic acid complexes.
  • Selected the 96 most effective conditions for a new screening set.

Main Results:

  • Identified promising crystallization conditions beyond traditional PEG and salt precipitants.
  • Demonstrated the efficacy of alternative polymers for crystallizing various protein types.
  • Developed a refined 96-condition screen based on empirical testing.

Conclusions:

  • Alternative polymeric precipitants offer a valuable alternative to PEGs in crystallization screens.
  • The proposed 96-condition screen effectively complements commercial offerings.
  • This approach enhances the ability to crystallize difficult protein and complex targets.