Sample manipulation and data assembly for robust microcrystal synchrotron crystallography

• Published in: IUCrJ Vol. 5; no. Pt 3; pp. 238 - 246
• Main Authors: Guo, Gongrui, Fuchs, Martin R, Shi, Wuxian, Skinner, John, Berman, Evanna, Ogata, Craig M, Hendrickson, Wayne A, McSweeney, Sean, Liu, Qun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England International Union of Crystallography 01-05-2018
• Subjects: Assembly; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Crystallography; Data analysis; Data processing; Datasets; Methods; microcrystal; Microcrystals; microdiffraction; multiple crystals; radiation damage; Research Letters; Robustness; structural biology; Synchrotrons; Technology application; X-ray crystallography; X-ray crystallography; data analysis; radiation damage; microcrystals; microdiffraction; structural biology; multiple crystals
• ISSN: 2052-2525; 2052-2525
• DOI: 10.1107/s2052252518005389

With the recent developments in microcrystal handling, synchrotron microdiffraction beamline instrumentation and data analysis, microcrystal crystallo-graphy 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.