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Title: Automating the application of smart materials for protein crystallization

Journal Article · · Acta Crystallographica. Section D: Biological Crystallography
;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
  2. University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

The first semi-liquid, non-protein nucleating agent for automated protein crystallization trials is described. This ‘smart material’ is demonstrated to induce crystal growth and will provide a simple, cost-effective tool for scientists in academia and industry. The fabrication and validation of the first semi-liquid nonprotein nucleating agent to be administered automatically to crystallization trials is reported. This research builds upon prior demonstration of the suitability of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs; known as ‘smart materials’) for inducing protein crystal growth. Modified MIPs of altered texture suitable for high-throughput trials are demonstrated to improve crystal quality and to increase the probability of success when screening for suitable crystallization conditions. The application of these materials is simple, time-efficient and will provide a potent tool for structural biologists embarking on crystallization trials.

OSTI ID:
22347720
Journal Information:
Acta Crystallographica. Section D: Biological Crystallography, Vol. 71, Issue Pt 3; Other Information: PMCID: PMC4356364; PMID: 25760603; PUBLISHER-ID: bw5424; OAI: oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:4356364; Copyright (c) Khurshid et al. 2015; This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are cited.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0907-4449
Country of Publication:
Denmark
Language:
English