Optimizing the spatial distribution of dose in X-ray macromolecular crystallography

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver B. Zeldin ◽  
Markus Gerstel ◽  
Elspeth F. Garman
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Rotation Axis ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Crystal Shapes ◽  
Peak Dose ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Helical Scan ◽  
Crystal Volume

X-ray data collection for macromolecular crystallography can lead to highly inhomogeneous distributions of dose within the crystal volume for cases when the crystal is larger than the beam or when the beam is non-uniform (Gaussian-like), particularly when crystal rotation is fully taken into account. Here the spatial distribution of dose is quantitatively modelled in order to compare the effectiveness of two dose-spreading data-collection protocols: helical scanning and translational collection. Their effectiveness in reducing the peak dose per unit diffraction is investigatedviasimulations for four common crystal shapes (cube, plate, long and short needles) and beams with a wide range of full width half maximum values. By inspection of the chosen metric, it is concluded that the optimum strategy is always to use as flat (top-hat) a beam as possible and to either match the beam size in both dimensions to the crystal, or to perform a helical scan with a beam which is narrow along the rotation axis and matched to the crystal size along the perpendicular axis. For crystal shapes where this is not possible, the reduction in peak dose per unit diffraction achieved through dose spreading is quantified and tabulated as a reference for experimenters.

RADDOSE-3D: time- and space-resolved modelling of dose in macromolecular crystallography

2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 1225-1230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver B. Zeldin ◽  
Markus Gerstel ◽  
Elspeth F. Garman
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Radiation Damage ◽  
Diffraction Experiment ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Online Methods ◽  
Crystal Volume ◽  
Number Of Iterations

RADDOSE-3D allows the macroscopic modelling of an X-ray diffraction experiment for the purpose of better predicting radiation-damage progression. The distribution of dose within the crystal volume is calculated for a number of iterations in small angular steps across one or more data collection wedges, providing a time-resolved picture of the dose state of the crystal. The code is highly modular so that future contributions from the community can be easily integrated into it, in particular to incorporate online methods for determining the shape of macromolecular crystals and better protocols for imaging real experimental X-ray beam profiles.

scholarly journals XAS at the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C1525-C1525
Author(s):  
Julien Cotelesage ◽  
Pawel Grochulski ◽  
Michel Fodje ◽  
James Gorin ◽  
Kathryn Janzen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Diffraction Data ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
X Ray Absorption ◽  
Do So

Recent additions to the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility have expanded the capabilities of its bending magnet beamline. It is now possible to perform x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) on crystals. A wide range of biologically relevant metals can be further studied, supplementing diffraction data. XAS can be used to determine if metalloproteins are photoreducing during diffraction data collection. The geometries of metal complexes can also be inferred with near-edge and EXAFS data, often more accurately than crystallography. CMCF-BM can be employed to do the abovementioned techniques on powder and solution samples that contain a metal of interest. One XAS-based technique that shows promise is single crystal plane polarized EXAFS. This technique combines crystallographic data with the findings from XAS to yield a high resolution three dimensional atomic model. More recently a number of the procedural steps required for the acquisition of XAS-based data have been automated in the MxDC software suite. These changes to data collection make it easier for users new to these disciplines to run the XAS-based experiments. By having the necessary equipment to do XAS at a protein crystallography facility, researchers who may not have had the opportunity delve into the field of XAS now can do so with minimal risk in terms of materials, funds and time.

scholarly journals Automated harvesting and processing of protein crystals through laser photoablation

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 454-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Zander ◽  
Guillaume Hoffmann ◽  
Irina Cornaciu ◽  
Jean-Pierre Marquette ◽  
Gergely Papp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Repeated Sample ◽  
Sample Recovery ◽  
Through Diffusion ◽  
X Ray Background ◽  
Low X

Currently, macromolecular crystallography projects often require the use of highly automated facilities for crystallization and X-ray data collection. However, crystal harvesting and processing largely depend on manual operations. Here, a series of new methods are presented based on the use of a low X-ray-background film as a crystallization support and a photoablation laser that enable the automation of major operations required for the preparation of crystals for X-ray diffraction experiments. In this approach, the controlled removal of the mother liquor before crystal mounting simplifies the cryocooling process, in many cases eliminating the use of cryoprotectant agents, while crystal-soaking experiments are performed through diffusion, precluding the need for repeated sample-recovery and transfer operations. Moreover, the high-precision laser enables new mounting strategies that are not accessible through other methods. This approach bridges an important gap in automation and can contribute to expanding the capabilities of modern macromolecular crystallography facilities.

scholarly journals Development of a shutterless continuous rotation method using an X-ray CMOS detector for protein crystallography

2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1165-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuya Hasegawa ◽  
Kunio Hirata ◽  
Tetsuya Shimizu ◽  
Nobutaka Shimizu ◽  
Takaaki Hikima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Protein Structures ◽  
Protein Crystallography ◽  
New Method ◽  
Oxide Semiconductor ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Rotation Method ◽  
Continuous Rotation ◽  
Wide Range

A new shutterless continuous rotation method using an X-ray complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector has been developed for high-speed, precise data collection in protein crystallography. The principle of operation and the basic performance of the X-ray CMOS detector (Hamamatsu Photonics KK C10158DK) have been shown to be appropriate to the shutterless continuous rotation method. The data quality of the continuous rotation method is comparable to that of the conventional oscillation method using a CCD detector and, furthermore, the combination with fine φ slicing improves the data accuracy without increasing the data-collection time. The new method is more sensitive to diffraction intensity because of the narrow dynamic range of the CMOS detector. However, the strong diffraction spots were found to be precisely measured by recording them on successive multiple images by selecting an adequate rotation step. The new method has been used to successfully determine three protein structures by multi- and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing and has thereby been proved applicable in protein crystallography. The apparatus and method may become a powerful tool at synchrotron protein crystallography beamlines with important potential across a wide range of X-ray wavelengths.

scholarly journals Implementation and performance of SIBYLS: a dual endstation small-angle X-ray scattering and macromolecular crystallography beamline at the Advanced Light Source

2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Classen ◽  
Greg L. Hura ◽  
James M. Holton ◽  
Robert P. Rambo ◽  
Ivan Rodic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Light Source ◽  
Small Angle ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Advanced Light Source ◽  
Ray Scattering

The SIBYLS beamline (12.3.1) of the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, supported by the US Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health, is optimized for both small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and macromolecular crystallography (MX), making it unique among the world's mostly SAXS or MX dedicated beamlines. Since SIBYLS was commissioned, assessments of the limitations and advantages of a combined SAXS and MX beamline have suggested new strategies for integration and optimal data collection methods and have led to additional hardware and software enhancements. Features described include a dual mode monochromator [containing both Si(111) crystals and Mo/B4C multilayer elements], rapid beamline optics conversion between SAXS and MX modes, active beam stabilization, sample-loading robotics, and mail-in and remote data collection. These features allow users to gain valuable insights from both dynamic solution scattering and high-resolution atomic diffraction experiments performed at a single synchrotron beamline. Key practical issues considered for data collection and analysis include radiation damage, structural ensembles, alternative conformers and flexibility. SIBYLS develops and applies efficient combined MX and SAXS methods that deliver high-impact results by providing robust cost-effective routes to connect structures to biology and by performing experiments that aid beamline designs for next generation light sources.

scholarly journals Low-dose in situ prelocation of protein microcrystals by 2D X-ray phase-contrast imaging for serial crystallography

IUCrJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1131-1141
Author(s):  
Isabelle Martiel ◽  
Chia-Ying Huang ◽  
Pablo Villanueva-Perez ◽  
Ezequiel Panepucci ◽  
Shibom Basu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Phase Contrast Imaging ◽  
Cubic Phase ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Serial Data

Serial protein crystallography has emerged as a powerful method of data collection on small crystals from challenging targets, such as membrane proteins. Multiple microcrystals need to be located on large and often flat mounts while exposing them to an X-ray dose that is as low as possible. A crystal-prelocation method is demonstrated here using low-dose 2D full-field propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging at the X-ray imaging beamline TOMCAT at the Swiss Light Source (SLS). This imaging step provides microcrystal coordinates for automated serial data collection at a microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamline on samples with an essentially flat geometry. This prelocation method was applied to microcrystals of a soluble protein and a membrane protein, grown in a commonly used double-sandwich in situ crystallization plate. The inner sandwiches of thin plastic film enclosing the microcrystals in lipid cubic phase were flash cooled and imaged at TOMCAT. Based on the obtained crystal coordinates, both still and rotation wedge serial data were collected automatically at the SLS PXI beamline, yielding in both cases a high indexing rate. This workflow can be easily implemented at many synchrotron facilities using existing equipment, or potentially integrated as an online technique in the next-generation macromolecular crystallography beamline, and thus benefit a number of dose-sensitive challenging protein targets.

scholarly journals Energy optimization of a regular macromolecular crystallography beamline for ultra-high-resolution crystallography

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerd Rosenbaum ◽  
Stephan L. Ginell ◽  
Julian C.-H. Chen
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Accurate Data ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Standard Operating ◽  
Photon Source ◽  
Synchrotron Beamlines

A practical method for operating existing undulator synchrotron beamlines at photon energies considerably higher than their standard operating range is described and applied at beamline 19-ID of the Structural Biology Center at the Advanced Photon Source enabling operation at 30 keV. Adjustments to the undulator spectrum were critical to enhance the 30 keV flux while reducing the lower- and higher-energy harmonic contamination. A Pd-coated mirror and Al attenuators acted as effective low- and high-bandpass filters. The resulting flux at 30 keV, although significantly lower than with X-ray optics designed and optimized for this energy, allowed for accurate data collection on crystals of the small protein crambin to 0.38 Å resolution.

scholarly journals Capture and X-ray diffraction studies of protein microcrystals in a microfluidic trap array

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 928-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artem Y. Lyubimov ◽  
Thomas D. Murray ◽  
Antoine Koehl ◽  
Ismail Emre Araci ◽  
Monarin Uervirojnangkoorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Delivery Methods ◽  
Still Images ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Egg White Lysozyme ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flash Cooling ◽  
Hen Egg White

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) promise to enable the collection of interpretable diffraction data from samples that are refractory to data collection at synchrotron sources. At present, however, more efficient sample-delivery methods that minimize the consumption of microcrystalline material are needed to allow the application of XFEL sources to a wide range of challenging structural targets of biological importance. Here, a microfluidic chip is presented in which microcrystals can be captured at fixed, addressable points in a trap array from a small volume (<10 µl) of a pre-existing slurry grown off-chip. The device can be mounted on a standard goniostat for conducting diffraction experiments at room temperature without the need for flash-cooling. Proof-of-principle tests with a model system (hen egg-white lysozyme) demonstrated the high efficiency of the microfluidic approach for crystal harvesting, permitting the collection of sufficient data from only 265 single-crystal still images to permit determination and refinement of the structure of the protein. This work shows that microfluidic capture devices can be readily used to facilitate data collection from protein microcrystals grown in traditional laboratory formats, enabling analysis when cryopreservation is problematic or when only small numbers of crystals are available. Such microfluidic capture devices may also be useful for data collection at synchrotron sources.

scholarly journals Experimental evidence for the benefits of higher X-ray energies for macromolecular crystallography

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. S. Storm ◽  
D. Axford ◽  
R. L. Owen
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
Resolution Limit ◽  
Energy Data ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Structure Solution ◽  
Unit Dose

AbstractX-ray induced radiation damage is a limiting factor for the macromolecular crystallographer and data must often be merged from many crystals to yield complete datasets for structure solution of challenging samples. Increasing the X-ray energy beyond the typical 10-15 keV range promises to provide an extension of crystal lifetime via an increase in diffraction efficiency. To date however hardware limitations have negated any possible gains. Through the first use of a Cadmium Telluride Eiger2 detector and a beamline optimised for high energy data collection, we show that at higher energies fewer crystals will be required to obtain complete data, as the diffracted intensity per unit dose increases by a factor of more than 3 between 12.4 and 25 keV. Additionally, those higher energy data provide more information, evidenced by an increase in high-resolution limit of up to 0.3 Å, pointing to a high energy future for synchrotron-based macromolecular crystallography.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document