Sample delivery methods for protein X-ray crystallography with a special focus on sample consumption.

Area of Science:

• Structural Biology
• Biophysics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Serial crystallography (SX) is a powerful technique for high-resolution protein structure determination.
• Limited availability of macromolecule samples presents a significant challenge in SX.
• Efficient sample utilization is crucial for maximizing the potential of advanced X-ray sources like synchrotrons and X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and assess current sample delivery systems in serial crystallography.
• To highlight advancements in reducing sample consumption for protein studies.
• To compare different methods based on minimum sample requirements.

Main Methods:

• Focus on three primary sample delivery systems: fixed-targets, liquid injection, and hybrid methods.
• Summarize progress and challenges associated with each method regarding sample consumption.
• Compare reported sample delivery methods against the theoretical minimum sample required for data collection.

Main Results:

• Analysis of fixed-target, liquid injection, and hybrid sample delivery systems for SX.
• Identification of advancements in minimizing sample usage.
• Comparison of current methods' efficiency in sample consumption.

Conclusions:

• Reducing sample consumption in SX is critical for studying a wider range of biological samples.
• Current sample delivery methods show progress but still have room for improvement towards theoretical minimums.
• A comprehensive assessment of sample delivery methods is provided to guide future research in SX.