A simple technique to reduce evaporation of crystallization droplets by using plate lids with apertures for adding liquids

Zipper, L.E.; Aristide, X.; Bishop, D.P.; Joshi, I.; Kharzeev, J.; Patel, K.B.; Santiago, B.M.; Joshi, K.; Dorsinvil, K.; Sweet, R.M.; Soares, A.S.

doi:10.1107/S2053230X14025126

Figure 7
Plate lids result in better and more reproducible crystals. The figure shows crystals that were grown using 2.5 nl precipitant solution and 2.5 nl lysozyme (a) and trypsin (b) solution in CrystalQuick plates (approximately 2½ min for the Echo 550 to prepare each plate). Each type of protein was prepared on a plate that had a lid and on a plate that did not have a plate lid. On average, using a plate lid resulted in fewer but larger crystals of lysozyme and trypsin (left). The number of thaumatin crystals was approximately constant. X-ray data were obtained from one of the lysozyme crystals in each well in the middle row of the plate (row D). The data from crystals prepared using lids were merged and compared with the data from crystals prepared without lids. We also used the technique described in §

2.1 to measure the evaporation rate for each of the three types of mother liquor with no plate lid, and compared this with the deduced evaporation rate with a plate lid (right). Using lids during the 2½ min required for the Echo 550 to set up the 5 nl crystallization droplets allowed better, more reproducible and better diffracting crystals to be obtained.

STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
COMMUNICATIONS

ISSN: 2053-230X

Volume 70| Part 12| November 2014| Pages 1707-1713

doi:10.1107/S2053230X14025126

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