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Related Concept Videos

Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization01:25

Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization

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Crystallization is a phase transformation process in which crystals are precipitated from a supersaturated solution or formed from other sources. During crystallization, atoms or molecules arrange themselves into a well-defined, rigid crystal lattice to minimize energy.
Initiating crystallization involves manipulating the concentration of the solute and the temperature of the solution. Since crystal growth occurs when the ratio of concentration and solubility of the solute in the solvent...
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Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria01:10

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Recrystallization is a purification technique used to separate impurities from solid compounds. In this technique, no chemical reactions occur. Instead, it exploits physical properties only, specifically, the solubility differences between the desired compound and impurities, either at a single temperature or at different temperatures, and under other selected conditions. The solid-solution equilibrium (solubility equilibrium) of each component in the solution represents a binary phase...
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Growing Protein Crystals with Distinct Dimensions Using Automated Crystallization Coupled with In Situ Dynamic Light Scattering
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Growing and making nano- and microcrystals.

Robert L Shoeman1, Elisabeth Hartmann1, Ilme Schlichting2

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany.

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|November 30, 2022
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed new methods to reproducibly prepare size-controlled nano- and microcrystals. These techniques are essential for advanced structural biology using serial crystallography with synchrotrons and X-ray free-electron lasers.

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Area of Science:

  • Structural biology
  • Crystallography
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Technological advances enable structural determination from smaller crystals.
  • Microcrystals are increasingly valuable for serial data collection at synchrotrons and X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs).
  • XFELs offer high brilliance and short pulses, ideal for time-resolved crystallography and minimizing radiation damage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe reproducible and size-adjustable methods for preparing homogeneous nano- and microcrystals.
  • To enable controlled reaction initiation conditions for microcrystal studies.
  • To provide scalable techniques for generating microcrystal quantities.

Main Methods:

  • Milling using zirconium beads and a BeadBug homogenizer for nanocrystals and seeds.
  • Fragmentation of larger crystals via HPLC pump and stainless steel filters for micro- and nanocrystals.
  • Seeding and filtration techniques for size control and homogeneity.

Main Results:

  • Reproducible preparation of size-controlled nano- and microcrystals achieved.
  • Methods are scalable from milligrams to milliliters.
  • Homogeneous crystal populations with narrow size distributions are obtainable.
  • Procedure completion time is 3-5 days, including crystal growth.

Conclusions:

  • The described milling, seeding, and filtration techniques provide reliable methods for nano- and microcrystal preparation.
  • These methods support advanced crystallographic studies, including time-resolved experiments.
  • The ability to generate size-controlled microcrystals is crucial for modern structural determination techniques.