Dispatches from BIO 2016
Growing crystal
(Multi-chamber crystallization plate with porous plastic inserts placed in the precipitant reservoirs to reduce wicking. Image credit: Kristofer Gonzalez-DeWhitt)
“To better understand the structure of the molecules at the level of the arrangement of the atoms, we get an X-ray diffraction pattern of the crystals,” explained Savin.
Researchers achieve this by firing a beam of x-rays through a protein crystal and observing how the particles "bounce off" the atoms on the crystal.
“Based upon how the x-ray beam is diffracted by the crystal, we can get a kind of picture of how the atoms are organized in the molecule,” said Savin.
“By knowing the structure, we can hopefully better understand how the proteins work and design improved molecules to target the key sites in the target proteins.”
Currently, there are several protein crystallization experiments onboard the ISS. Researchers hope the high-quality crystals will contribute to better medicine design back on Earth.