The rise of neutron cryo-crystallography

Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol. 2018 Aug 1;74(Pt 8):792-799. doi: 10.1107/S205979831800640X. Epub 2018 Jul 24.

Abstract

The use of boiled-off liquid nitrogen to maintain protein crystals at 100 K during X-ray data collection has become almost universal. Applying this to neutron protein crystallography offers the opportunity to significantly broaden the scope of biochemical problems that can be addressed, although care must be taken in assuming that direct extrapolation to room temperature is always valid. Here, the history to date of neutron protein cryo-crystallography and the particular problems and solutions associated with the mounting and cryocooling of the larger crystals needed for neutron crystallography are reviewed. Finally, the outlook for further cryogenic neutron studies using existing and future neutron instrumentation is discussed.

Keywords: cryogenic data collection; enzyme mechanisms; neutron crystallography.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cold Temperature*
  • Crystallography
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 21st Century
  • Neutron Diffraction / history
  • Neutron Diffraction / methods*
  • Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

  • Proteins