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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Published on: February 4, 2021

Successful sample preparation for serial crystallography experiments.

John H Beale¹, Rachel Bolton^1,2, Stephen A Marshall³

¹Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Fermi Avenue, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK.

Journal of Applied Crystallography

|December 5, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents methods to convert single crystal growth techniques into batch crystallization for serial crystallography. This makes serial crystallography more accessible by optimizing micro-crystal production.

Keywords:

XFELs batch crystallization micro-crystallization serial macromolecular crystallography vapour diffusion

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Improving High Viscosity Extrusion of Microcrystals for Time-resolved Serial Femtosecond Crystallography at X-ray Lasers

Published on: February 28, 2019

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Last Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Published on: February 4, 2021

A Sample Preparation Pipeline for Microcrystals at the VMXm Beamline

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Published on: June 17, 2021

Improving High Viscosity Extrusion of Microcrystals for Time-resolved Serial Femtosecond Crystallography at X-ray Lasers

Improving High Viscosity Extrusion of Microcrystals for Time-resolved Serial Femtosecond Crystallography at X-ray Lasers

Published on: February 28, 2019

Area of Science:

Structural Biology
Biophysics
Crystallography

Background:

Serial crystallography is gaining popularity at synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources.
Current crystallization methods primarily yield large single crystals suitable for traditional synchrotron crystallography, not the micro-crystals needed for serial crystallography.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide strategies for converting single crystal growth methods (vapour diffusion) into batch crystallization protocols for serial crystallography.
To bridge the gap in sample preparation between conventional and serial crystallography.

Main Methods:

Case studies demonstrating the conversion of vapour diffusion conditions to batch crystallization.
Optimization of crystal appearance time in batch conditions.
Utilizing crystallization phase diagrams to guide batch protocol design.
Developing scalable batch crystallization methodologies.

Main Results:

Successful conversion of vapour diffusion parameters to batch crystallization conditions.
Demonstrated methods for optimizing micro-crystal yield and quality for serial crystallography.
Provided a practical framework for scaling batch crystallization protocols.

Conclusions:

The presented methods facilitate the production of thousands of micro-crystals required for serial crystallography.
Simplifying sample preparation enhances the accessibility of serial crystallography techniques.
These strategies help minimize the sample preparation bottleneck for serial crystallography experiments.