Macromolecular Nanocrystal Structural Analysis with Electron and X-Rays: A Comparative Review.

Area of Science:

• Structural Biology
• Biophysics
• Crystallography

Background:

• Crystallography is the primary method for determining macromolecular structures at the atomic level.
• Advancements in X-ray and electron sources, detectors, and instrumentation have revolutionized the field.
• Historically, large, high-quality crystals were essential for obtaining diffraction data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comparative review of macromolecular nanocrystal crystallography.
• To focus on the utilization of X-ray and electron sources in this new field.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent advancements in X-ray and electron sources for crystallography.
• Analysis of new detection techniques enabling data collection from small crystals.
• Comparative assessment of X-ray and electron-based nanocrystal crystallography.

Main Results:

• High-quality diffraction datasets can now be routinely obtained from nanocrystals (hundreds of nanometers).
• Novel X-ray and electron sources enhance data quality and accessibility.
• Macromolecular nanocrystal crystallography is emerging as a viable technique.

Conclusions:

• The development of advanced sources and detectors has enabled macromolecular nanocrystal crystallography.
• This field offers new possibilities for determining structures of challenging macromolecules.
• X-ray and electron sources are key drivers in the advancement of nanocrystal crystallography.