Integrated crystal mounting and alignment system for high-throughput biological crystallography

US7274769B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Robert Nordmeyer · Calabasas, US
• Gyorgy Snell · Richmond, US
• Earl Cornell · Antioch, US
• William F. Kolbe · Moraga, US
• Derek T. Yegian · Oakland, US
• Thomas Earnest · Berkeley, US
• Joseph M. Jaklevich · Lafayette, US
• Carl Cork · Walnut Creek, US
• Bernard D. Santarsiero · San Diego, US
• Raymond C. Stevens · Village of La Jolla, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 22, 2005
• Grant date: Sep 25, 2007
• Expiry date: Feb 22, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N1/42
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the transportation, remote and unattended mounting, and visual alignment and monitoring of protein crystals for synchrotron generated x-ray diffraction analysis. The protein samples are maintained at liquid nitrogen temperatures at all times: during shipment, before mounting, mounting, alignment, data acquisition and following removal. The samples must additionally be stably aligned to within a few microns at a point in space. The ability to accurately perform these tasks remotely and automatically leads to a significant increase in sample throughput and reliability for high-volume protein characterization efforts. Since the protein samples are placed in a shipping-compatible layered stack of sample cassettes each holding many samples, a large number of samples can be shipped in a single cryogenic shipping container.