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Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Structural Studies of Macromolecules in Solution using Small Angle X-Ray Scattering
Published on: November 5, 2018
Combining NMR and small angle X-ray scattering for the study of biomolecular structure and dynamics
Haydyn D T Mertens1, Dmitri I Svergun1
1EMBL Hamburg c/o DESY, Building 25A, Notkestr. 85, Hamburg 22603, Germany.
Abstract:
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) are established methods to analyze the structure and structural transitions of biological macromolecules in solution. Both methods are directly applicable to near-native macromolecular solutions and allow one to study structural responses to physical and chemical changes or ligand additions. Whereas SAXS is applied to elucidate overall structure, interactions and flexibility over a wide range of particle sizes, NMR yields atomic resolution detail for moderately sized macromolecules. NMR is arguably the most powerful technique for the experimental analysis of dynamics. The joint application of these two highly complementary techniques provides an extremely useful approach that facilitates comprehensive characterization of biomacromolecular solutions.
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