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Updated: Feb 4, 2026
11:48
Microfluidic Chips for In Situ Crystal X-ray Diffraction and In Situ Dynamic Light Scattering for Serial Crystallography
Published on: April 24, 2018
15.3K
Crystallography on a chip - without the chip: sheet-on-sheet sandwich
R Bruce Doak1, Gabriela Nass Kovacs1, Alexander Gorel1
1Department of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Acta Crystallographica. Section D, Structural Biology
|October 6, 2018
Summary
A new sheet-on-sheet (SOS) method offers a chip-less alternative for serial femtosecond crystallography, simplifying sample loading and scanning for X-ray diffraction experiments.
Area of Science:
- Structural Biology
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Crystallography chips facilitate high-throughput serial diffraction data collection at synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources.
- Conventional chips require precise microfabrication, matching well size to microcrystal size, and specialized scanning mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a chip-less adaptation for serial diffraction data collection, addressing challenges associated with loading and precision scanning of conventional crystallography chips.
- To evaluate the efficacy of the sheet-on-sheet (SOS) method for serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) and time-resolved experiments.
Main Methods:
- Developed a sheet-on-sheet (SOS) sample support by sandwiching crystal solution between two Mylar sheets.
- Utilized the SOS sandwich for serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) data collection with micrometre-sized crystals at an XFEL.
- Assessed the SOS method's suitability for time-resolved pump-probe experiments and its performance under XFEL beam conditions.
Main Results:
- The SOS method eliminates challenges related to chip loading and precision scanning, despite slightly increased sample usage.
- The SOS sandwich structure enables measurements under XFEL beam conditions that would damage conventional chips.
- Hermetic sealing by SOS sheets prevents sample desiccation, with desiccation limits under XFEL conditions being easily accommodated.
Conclusions:
- The SOS sandwich is a viable and efficient alternative to conventional crystallography chips for serial diffraction experiments.
- This chip-less approach simplifies sample handling and expands the applicability of SFX and time-resolved studies, particularly at XFEL facilities.
- The SOS method demonstrates robustness under demanding XFEL beam conditions, offering a practical solution for microcrystal analysis.
Keywords:
Mylar sandwich chipXFELfixed targethigh throughputlow doseroom-temperature data collectionserial crystallographyMore Related Videos
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