IUCrJ (May 2018)

Sample manipulation and data assembly for robust microcrystal synchrotron crystallography

  • Gongrui Guo,
  • Martin R. Fuchs,
  • Wuxian Shi,
  • John Skinner,
  • Evanna Berman,
  • Craig M. Ogata,
  • Wayne A. Hendrickson,
  • Sean McSweeney,
  • Qun Liu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052252518005389
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 3
pp. 238 – 246

Abstract

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With the recent developments in microcrystal handling, synchrotron microdiffraction beamline instrumentation and data analysis, microcrystal crystallography with crystal sizes of less than 10 µm is appealing at synchrotrons. However, challenges remain in sample manipulation and data assembly for robust microcrystal synchrotron crystallography. Here, the development of micro-sized polyimide well-mounts for the manipulation of microcrystals of a few micrometres in size and the implementation of a robust data-analysis method for the assembly of rotational microdiffraction data sets from many microcrystals are described. The method demonstrates that microcrystals may be routinely utilized for the acquisition and assembly of complete data sets from synchrotron microdiffraction beamlines.

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