Electrorheological crystallization of proteins and other molecules

Patent · 01 January 1996

OSTI ID:870450

Craig, George D ^[1]; Rupp, Bernhard ^[2]

---

1. Lafayette, CA
2. Dublin, CA

An electrorheological crystalline mass of a molecule is formed by dispersing the molecule in a dispersion fluid and subjecting the molecule dispersion to a uniform electrical field for a period of time during which time an electrorheological crystalline mass is formed. Molecules that may be used to form an electrorheological crystalline mass include any organic or inorganic molecule which has a permanent dipole and/or which is capable of becoming an induced dipole in the presence of an electric field. The molecules used to form the electrorheological crystalline mass are preferably macromolecules, such as biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipoproteins and viruses. Molecules are crystallized by a method in which an electric field is maintained for a period of time after the electrorheological crystalline mass has formed during which time at least some of the molecules making up the electrorheological crystalline mass form a crystal lattice. The three dimensional structure of a molecule is determined by a method in which an electrorheological crystalline mass of the molecule is formed, an x-ray diffraction pattern of the electrorheological crystalline mass is obtained and the three dimensional structure of the molecule is calculated from the x-ray diffraction pattern.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5525198
• OSTI ID: 870450
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/204/205/378/435/
acids
becoming
biomolecules
calculated
capable
carbohydrates
crystal
crystal lattice
crystalline
crystallization
crystallized
determined
diffraction
diffraction pattern
dimensional
dimensional structure
dipole
dispersing
dispersion
electric
electric field
electrical
electrical field
electrorheological
field
fluid
form
form electrical
formed
induced
inorganic
lattice
lipoproteins
macromolecules
maintained
mass
method
molecule
molecules
nucleic
nucleic acid
nucleic acids
obtained
organic
organic molecule
pattern
period
permanent
preferably
presence
proteins
structure
subjecting
time
uniform
uniform electric
uniform electrical
viruses
x-ray
x-ray diffraction