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$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples

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...

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
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 8, 2025

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

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

Published on: April 24, 2018

Serial Crystallography for Structure-Based Drug Discovery.

Lan Zhu¹, Xiaoyu Chen¹, Enrique E Abola¹

¹Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.

Trends in Pharmacological Sciences

|September 20, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Serial crystallography (SX) advances drug discovery by enabling structural determination of challenging targets. This technique offers insights into dynamic molecular mechanisms, paving the way for novel therapeutics.

Keywords:

GPCR ligand swapping X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL)serial femtosecond crystallography structure-based drug discovery (SBDD)synchrotron-based serial crystallography time-resolved serial crystallography

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Area of Science:

Structural Biology
Drug Discovery
Biophysics

Background:

Structure-based drug discovery relies on 3D structural data of drug targets.
Experimental determination of these structures is often challenging, especially for difficult targets.
Serial crystallography (SX) has emerged as a powerful technique for structural determination.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize recent advancements in serial crystallography (SX) technology.
To discuss the application of SX in structure-based drug discovery.
To highlight the potential of SX for elucidating dynamic molecular mechanisms.

Main Methods:

Serial crystallography (SX) utilizing X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs).
Adaptation of SX techniques for use in synchrotron radiation facilities.
Time-resolved studies enabled by ultrashort X-ray pulses.

Main Results:

SX enables structural determination of drug targets using small crystals (micrometer/nanometer size).
The technology has been successfully applied to notoriously difficult-to-study targets at room temperature.
SX allows for time-resolved characterization of dynamic structural changes.

Conclusions:

Serial crystallography is a rapidly progressing technology with significant implications for drug discovery.
SX provides a pathway to study the molecular mechanisms of drug action through 'molecular movies'.
Future applications of SX promise to accelerate the development of safer and more efficacious therapeutics.