Radiation damage to biological macromolecules

• Published in: Current opinion in structural biology Vol. 82; p. 102662
• Main Authors: Garman, Elspeth F., Weik, Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Cryoelectron Microscopy; Crystallography, X-Ray; Disulphide bond breakage; Dose; Electrons; Global damage; Life Sciences; Microscopy; Radiation damage; Reduction; Specific structural damage; Synchrotrons; X-Ray Diffraction; X-ray free electron lasers; X-Rays; Reduction; Specific structural damage; Microscopy; Synchrotrons; X-rays; X-ray free electron lasers; Disulphide bond breakage; Dose; Radiation damage; Global damage; Electrons
• ISSN: 0959-440X; 1879-033X; 1879-033X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102662

In this review, we describe recent research developments into radiation damage effects in macromolecular X-ray crystallography observed at synchrotrons and X-ray free electron lasers. Radiation damage in small molecule X-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering experiments, microelectron diffraction, and single particle cryo-electron microscopy is briefly covered.
•Radiation damage to biological macromolecules is a fundamental challenge in X-ray and electron diffraction and microscopy.•Radiation damage can alter the biological information inferred from biomolecular structures.•Estimating the absorbed dose for an experiment allows the experimenter to be aware of potential deleterious effects.•Various experimental strategies, such as serial crystallography approaches, can mitigate radiation damage.