Implementation of wedged-serial protein crystallography at PROXIMA-1

Area of Science:

• Structural Biology
• Crystallography
• Biophysics

Background:

• Serial crystallography requires efficient data collection strategies.
• In situ X-ray diffraction on crystalline samples presents challenges.
• Microfluidic chip technology offers potential for improved sample handling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel wedged-data collection approach for serial crystallography.
• To demonstrate an efficient method for in situ X-ray diffraction using microfluidic chips.
• To reduce the number of sample crystals needed for complete dataset acquisition.

Main Methods:

• Development of a wedged-data collection strategy for serial crystallography.
• Utilizing X-ray compatible microfluidic chips for sample loading.
• Integrating the strategy with modular sample environments for in situ and cryo-crystallography.

Main Results:

• The wedged-data collection method efficiently records in situ X-ray diffraction data.
• Geometrically precise positioning of crystalline samples in microfluidic chips was achieved.
• The strategy significantly minimizes the quantity of sample crystals required for a complete dataset.

Conclusions:

• The described method is an efficient alternative for serial crystallography data collection.
• Advances in microfluidic technology enable routine high-throughput room-temperature crystallography.
• This approach has potential for broad application, including industrial use.