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Figure 2
Overview of microcrystal sample-delivery methods in both serial and nano/micro cryo-MX techniques. (a) Fixed targets involve the immobilization of crystals in a chip with individual apertures that are rastered in a serial manner. These can be used in combination with droplet ejectors for time-resolved experiments. (b) Tape drives involve an X-ray-transparent tape where crystals are deposited as a stream or individual droplets. Time-resolved studies can be performed using a tape-drive strategy, with many facilities adapting systems to fit their setup. (c) Microfluidics can be used for in situ crystallization or time-resolved studies for rapid mixing experiments. (d) Jets provide a stream of microcrystal slurry to the beam and are the most sample-intensive method. (e) Nano/micro cryo-MX is an emerging field of microcrystallography currently containing MicroED and advanced beamlines such as VMXm at Diamond Light Source (Warren et al., 2024BB147). These involve the application of crystals to a carbon-coated cryoEM grid and collecting a tilt series around each crystal, making them distinct from other serial methods. Like the serial fixed targets, crystals are applied to a surface and excess solution is then blotted away to reduce background noise surrounding the sample. However, in nano/micro cryo-MX this is then vitrified to capture the crystals in amorphous ice, whereas fixed targets are collected at room temperature and crystals are captured in apertures within the solid support.

IUCrJ
Volume 12| Part 3| May 2025|
ISSN: 2052-2525
https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052252525001484