New sample holder for protein crystallography
Up to three indivudal drops may be placed onto the sample holder. © HZB
24 sample holders are grouped. © HZB
After their formation the tiny crystals are prepared for x-ray analysis - without touching them. They stay onto the same sample holder. © HZB
An HZB research team has developed a novel sample holder that considerably facilitates the preparation of protein crystals for structural analysis. A short video by the team shows how proteins in solution can be crystallised directly onto the new sample holders themselves, then analysed using the MX beamlines at BESSY II. A patent has already been granted and a manufacturer found.
Proteins are huge molecules that often have complex three-dimensional structure and morphology that can include side chains, folds, and twists. This three-dimensional shape is often the determining factor of their function in organisms. It is therefore important to understand the structure of proteins both for fundamental research in biology and for the development of new drugs. To accomplish this, proteins are first precipitated from solution as tiny crystals, then analysed using facilities such as the MX beamlines at BESSY II in order to generate a computer image of the macromolecular structure from the data.
Up to now, protein crystals have first been grown and then transferred onto a sample holder for structural analysis. However, this transfer entailed a risk of destroying the often extremely fragile crystals.
This risk is no longer necessary thanks to the new sample holder developed by Dr. Manfred Weiss and Dr. Christian Feiler from the MX team together with Dr. Dirk Wallacher from the BESSY II sample environment group. Instead, the protein solution is applied directly onto the sample holder and crystallised in place, eliminating the need to transfer the delicate protein crystals to a different sample holder for analysis. “The new sample holder saves work steps and reduces the risk of damaging the sensitive protein crystals“, explains Feiler. “We have a short video clip that shows step-by-step how these sample holders facilitate protein crystallography – you have to see this!” exclaims Weiss, head of the MX-Beamline.
In practice, a large number of samples are always measured at once, so 24 sample holders are grouped together onto one sample plate. The new sample holder is patented in Germany and registered for an international patent. Jena Bioscience has acquired a licence and is already marketing the new development worldwide.
Published in J. Vis. Exp. (2019): An All-in-one Sample Holder for Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography with Minimal Background Scattering. Christian G. Feiler, Dirk Wallacher, Manfred S. Weiss
Video and publication
- The future of corals – what X-rays can tell usThis summer, it was all over the media. Driven by the climate crisis, the oceans have now also passed a critical point, the absorption of CO2 is making the oceans increasingly acidic. The shells of certain sea snails are already showing the first signs of damage. But also the skeleton structures of coral reefs are deteriorating in more acidic conditions. This is especially concerning given that corals are already suffering from marine heatwaves and pollution, which are leading to bleaching and finally to the death of entire reefs worldwide. But how exactly does ocean acidification affect reef structures?
Prof. Dr. Tali Mass, a marine biologist from the University of Haifa, Israel, is an expert on stony corals. Together with Prof. Dr. Paul Zaslansky, X-ray imaging expert from Charité Berlin, she investigated at BESSY II the skeleton formation in baby corals, raised under different pH conditions. Antonia Rötger spoke online with the two experts about the results of their recent study and the future of coral reefs.
- Susanne Nies appointed to EU advisory group on Green DealDr. Susanne Nies heads the Green Deal Ukraina project at HZB, which aims to support the development of a sustainable energy system in Ukraine. The energy expert has now also been appointed to the European Commission's scientific advisory group to comment on regulatory burdens in connection with the net-zero target (DG GROW).
- Energy of charge carrier pairs in cuprate compoundsHigh-temperature superconductivity is still not fully understood. Now, an international research team at BESSY II has measured the energy of charge carrier pairs in undoped La₂CuO₄. Their findings revealed that the interaction energies within the potentially superconducting copper oxide layers are significantly lower than those in the insulating lanthanum oxide layers. These results contribute to a better understanding of high-temperature superconductivity and could also be relevant for research into other functional materials.