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Updated: May 19, 2026

Automated Protocols for Macromolecular Crystallization at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Published on: January 24, 2018
Rapid crystallization of L-arginine acetate on engineered surfaces using metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated
Melissa A Pinard1, Tsehai A J Grell, Danielle Pettis
1University of Florida, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Abstract:
We report the application of our newly described crystallization technique, which employs silver island films (SIFs) and microwave heating, to rapid crystallization of L-arginine acetate (LAA). Using our technique, LAA crystals (~ 1.2 mm in length) were grown from a 20 μl solution in 1 min on surface functionalized SIFs. In control experiments (glass slides and at room temperature) the growth of LAA crystals (0.1-0.3 mm) took ~ 55 min.

