Taking X-ray Diffraction to the Limit: Macromolecular Structures from Femtosecond X-ray Pulses and Diffraction Microscopy of Cells with Synchrotron Radiation
The methodology of X-ray crystallography has recently been successfully extended to the structure determination of non-crystalline specimens. The phase problem was solved by using the oversampling method, which takes advantage of ''continuous'' diffraction pattern from non-crystalline specimens. Here we review the principle of this newly developed technique and discuss the ongoing experiments of imaging non-periodic objects, like cells and cellular structures using coherent and bright X-rays from the 3rd generation synchrotron radiation. In the longer run, the technique may be applied to image single biomolecules by using the anticipated X-ray free electron lasers. Computer simulations have so far demonstrated two important steps: (1) by using an extremely intense femtosecond X-ray pulse, a diffraction pattern can be recorded from a macromolecule before radiation damage manifests itself, and (2) the phase information can be ab initio retrieved from a set of calculated noisy diffraction patterns of single protein molecules.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 15013638
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JRNL-200184; TRN: US200604%%25
- Journal Information:
- Annual Review of Biophysics and Biomolecular Structure, Vol. 33
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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