The Structural Biology platform provides facilities and expertise in X-ray crystallography and computing resources for cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The Structural Biology platform is able to take on both academic and commercial structural biology projects.

The team stock a range of pre-aliquoted screens, for hassle-free setup of crystallisation trials via crystallisation robots. The platform also has a Plate Imager which will take regular images of experiments enabling rapid identification of suitable crystallisation conditions.

The platform has regular access to macromolecular crystallography beamlines at the Diamond Light Source for X-ray data collection, and can assist with data collection and manage the subsequent data curation.

Together with the Bioimaging platform, the Structural Biology platform can determine macromolecular structures using cryo-EM.

Crystal production

The protein crystallography team can help with crystal production in the following ways:

• Advice on construct design, sample quality, sample quantity and protein purification.
• A range of pre-aliquoted screens, for facile setup of crystallisation trials via crystallisation robots.
• A Plate Imager takes regular images of experiments enabling rapid identification of suitable crystallisation conditions.

Crystal analysis

Along with production of crystals, the team offer expertise in analysis such as:

• Regular access to macromolecular crystallography beamlines at the Diamond Light Source for X-ray data collection. The team also arrange the shipping of samples to Diamond.
• Manage data collection and all the subsequent data curation.
• Structure determination.

Other approaches to determine macromolecular structure

There are other ways that the platform can identify your protein structure including:

• Study larger molecules or complexes using cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) in conjunction with the Bioimaging platform.
• The technique of Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) can also be used to determine low resolution structural information from molecules in solution.

If you are interested in using the SB Platform, contact David Lawson or Julia Mundy to discuss what you would like to achieve. We will offer advice on likely costs, timescales and feasibility.

We also offer a 3D protein model printing service, turning your in silico models into physical objects which are perfect as gifts, desk accessories and outreach props.