Award details

Monitoring of crystal diffraction improvement on an intense beamline with a Free Mounting Humidity Control System

Reference	BB/C510975/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Miroslav Papiz
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	STFC - Laboratories
Department	Photon Science
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	147,000
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/04/2005
End date	31/03/2006
Duration	12 months

Abstract

We are proposing to develop a new technique for protein crystallography on the SRS at Daresbury Laboratory. This will be a unique facility with no other like it in the world. The first upgrade will be to install the Free Mounting System (FMS) which can, in a controlled and reproducible manner, humidify dehydrate protein crystals. The device is available from Proteros Biostructures GmbH based on a prototype developed in Robert Huber¿s laboratory in the Max-Planck-Institut, Martinsried. They have shown remarkable improvements in crystal diffraction quality through a systematic exploration of crystal diffraction over a range of ambient humidities. It has been known for more than two decades that limited dehydration of protein crystals can improve diffraction resolution but this is usually difficult to achieve in a reliable way. The FMS is a step forward in providing a reproducible way for achieving this. A need has been established within the PX science community and a number of crystal systems have been identified that could immediately benefit from this device. It is expected that the FMS will revitalise a number of research programmes which are currently limited by low resolution diffraction. Proteros Biostructures GmbH will act as the external sponsor for this programme of work. X-ray beamline optics have improved in recent years to the point where it is possible produce a micro-focus beam on a second generation source like the SRS. We propose to upgrade beamline 9.6 with Kirkpatrick-Baez design optics to provide a 90 micrometre beam and a 10 fold increase in intensity at the sample. Further reductions in beam size can be achieved with motorised collimating slits on a modified Hamburg X-ray rotation camera equipped with x-y translation of the phi axis to facilitate automatic alignment of small crystals to the beam. Both of these devices will be built in-house based on devices built for other beamlines at the SRS. We are asking for funding for only the Kirkpatrick-Baez optics, vessel and bending mechanism. The upgrade of the X-ray camera will be funded by CCLRC. The costs, design and time-scales are well understood and we are confident in having this upgrade installed and commissioned within 12 months. The combination of the FMS and micro-focus beam will be a unique facility. It will bring immediate gains and will develop these techniques to a mature state so that the technique and user community can transfer easily to Diamond. The microfocus capability will broaden the applicability of the FMS to small crystals and will be a powerful upgrade in its own right.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biomolecular Sciences (BMS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Research Equipment Initiative 2004 (RE4) [2004]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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