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Design, 3D printing and validation of a novel low‐cost high‐capacity sitting‐drop bridge for protein crystallization
Author(s) -
Talapatra Sandeep K.,
Penny Matthew R.,
Hilton Stephen T.,
Kozielski Frank
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s1600576718017545
Subject(s) - crystallization , drop (telecommunication) , sitting , materials science , protein crystallization , process engineering , computer science , mechanical engineering , engineering , chemical engineering , medicine , pathology
Sitting‐drop protein crystallization is not used as commonly as the hanging‐drop method for crystal optimization owing to the limitations of commercially available sitting‐drop bridges, particularly when they are used in conjunction with 24‐well crystallization plates. The commercially available sitting‐drop bridge, containing space for only a single drop, restricts their wider use. Proteins that preferentially crystallize under sitting‐drop conditions therefore require more work, time and resources for their optimization. In response to these limitations, and using 3D printing, a new sitting‐drop bridge has been designed and developed, where five crystallization drops can be placed simultaneously in each well of a 24‐well crystallization plate. This significantly simplifies the process and increases the potential of sitting drops in crystal optimization, reducing costs and hence overcoming the limitations of current approaches.