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X-ray Crystallography

X-ray Crystallography

The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
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$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

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X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Fixed Target Serial Data Collection at Diamond Light Source

Fixed Target Serial Data Collection at Diamond Light Source

Published on: February 26, 2021

Mix-and-diffuse serial synchrotron crystallography.

Kenneth R Beyerlein¹, Dennis Dierksmeyer², Valerio Mariani¹

¹Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.

|November 11, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new polyimide tape drive enables rapid serial crystallography, capturing enzyme-inhibitor interactions at high resolution. This method advances structural biology and drug screening capabilities at synchrotron light sources.

Keywords:

X-ray crystallography drug discovery lysozyme protein structure serial crystallography time-resolved studies

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Last Updated: Feb 19, 2026

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$Microfluidic Chips for In Situ Crystal X-ray Diffraction and In Situ Dynamic Light Scattering for Serial Crystallography$

Microfluidic Chips for In Situ Crystal X-ray Diffraction and In Situ Dynamic Light Scattering for Serial Crystallography

Published on: April 24, 2018

Area of Science:

Structural biology
Biochemistry
Crystallography

Background:

Determining macromolecule-ligand interactions at high resolution is challenging.
Serial crystallography offers new approaches using X-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel polyimide tape drive for mix-and-diffuse serial crystallography.
To determine the structure of lysozyme bound by chitotriose using this new device.

Main Methods:

A new polyimide tape drive was designed for serial crystallography.
Microfluidic mixers were used for rapid sample preparation.
X-ray diffraction data were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

The structure of lysozyme with bound chitotriose was successfully determined.
High-resolution electron densities showed clear enzyme-inhibitor binding.
Data were obtained from mixing times as short as 2 seconds.

Conclusions:

The developed tape drive facilitates mix-and-diffuse serial crystallography.
This approach enables detailed structural analysis of enzyme-inhibitor complexes.
The method shows potential for high-throughput drug screening and structural enzymology.