Equipment
Crystallization robot - Honeybee963 Genomic Solutions
The Honeybee963 is a bench-top system for the automation and miniaturization of vapor diffusion in sitting-drop protein crystallization experiments. Proprietary Cartesian synQUAD™ dispensers couple high-speed micro-solenoid valves with high resolution syringe pumps dispensing volumes down to 100 nL. We currently use 200-300nL nanodrops to maximize precision and crystallizability.
The 96-needle arm allows for very fast dispensing of reservoir solutions on a 96-well setup. Three independent protein synQUAD needles then proceed to nanoliter protein dispensing. Automation enables the assay of typically hundreds of different potential crystallogenesis conditions in a matter of minutes, allowing to greatly increase the search space, a known requisite to raising the probability of finding hits.
X ray generator - Rigaku MicroMax-007HF
Our Micromax007-HF is an X-ray generator (X-ray source with a 0.07 mm diameter effective focal size) equipped with a Cu rotating anode. It provides an output of 1200 W and a brightness of 31 kW/mm2. In combination with the installed optics (Varimax-HF, confocal multilayer mirrors), the RA-Micro7 HF’s ultra-bright X-rays can be utilized effectively for various measurement purposes. We can solve structures with atoms that scatter anomalously at 1.54Å wavelength (S, I, Cs, lanthanides, among the most used).
Image plate area detector - MarResearch MAR345
The MAR345 detector installed on a MAR345dtb table is a state-of-the-art image plate detector that enables us to collect data up to 1.2A resolution on our geometric setup (taking full advantage of the 2theta angle). It is a single phi-angle oscillation setup, equipped with a convenient chi-motor that facilitates crystal mounting under cryogenic conditions. Read-out cycles range from 108 to 34 seconds, depending on pixel size and scanned plate diameter.
The read-out system of the mar345 Image Plate Detector is unique in its use of a single high performance 85mW laser which delivers more than 0.8µJ/pixel at the plate. This ensures that an extremely high percentage (>95%) of trapped F-centers are transformed into photostimulated luminiscence.
X ray cryosystem - Oxford Cryosystems 700 series Cryostream
The Cryostream allows a continuous laminar flow of gas nitrogen at cryogenic temperatures during single crystal data collection. Fast cool-down to 100 Kelvin is achievable in 20 minutes. It has a fairly low LN2 consumption with a variable flow of either 5 or 10 litre/minute.
We have an accessory auto-fill system that uses a level probe in the cryosystem's Dewar, that automates the topping-up of the Dewar basically during data collections that last for several hours/days.
Liquid nitrogen generator - Rigaku NitroGenLN40
The LN40 is a helium compressor-based machine able to produce up to 40lts/day of highly pure liquid nitrogen. The gas input comes from the air pumped by the included PSA system.
The operation of the cryogenic refrigeration system is based on a closed-loop Gifford-McMahon (GM) helium expansion cycle. The PSA system consists of two basic components: A vessel(s) containing “carbon molecular sieve“ (CMS) and an air compressor(s) or source of clean dry air.