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Spitrobot-2 advances time-resolved cryo-trapping crystallography to under 25 ms
Maria Spiliopoulou1, Caitlin E Hatton2, Martin Kollewe3
1University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Communications Chemistry
|November 20, 2025
Summary
The new spitrobot-2 system enhances cryo-trapping time-resolved crystallography with millisecond resolution. This faster, user-friendly device enables new insights into protein dynamics and ligand binding for structural biology research.
Area of Science:
- Structural Biology
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The spitrobot system previously enabled millisecond time-resolved crystallography using cryo-trapping.
- Advancements were needed to improve user-friendliness and reduce cryo-trapping delay times.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce spitrobot-2, an improved integrated benchtop device for enhanced cryo-trapping.
- To demonstrate the capabilities of spitrobot-2 in capturing fast biological processes.
Main Methods:
- Development of an integrated, user-friendly benchtop device (spitrobot-2).
- Implementation of semi-automatic sample exchange and an automated shutter.
- Reduction of cryo-trapping delay time to 23 milliseconds.
Main Results:
- Spitrobot-2 achieves a cryo-trapping delay time of 23 ms, twice as fast as the previous generation.
- Successful cryo-trapping was demonstrated within 25 ms, capturing conformational changes and ligand binding.
- 12 crystal structures from three model systems confirmed the system's efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Spitrobot-2 significantly enhances access to time-resolved X-ray crystallography.
- The improved system empowers the structural biology community with advanced tools for research.
- Faster cryo-trapping expands the scope of target systems addressable by this technique.
