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High‐pressure small‐angle X‐ray scattering cell for biological solutions and soft materials
Author(s) -
Rai Durgesh K.,
Gillilan Richard E.,
Huang Qingqiu,
Miller Robert,
Ting Edmund,
Lazarev Alexander,
Tate Mark W.,
Gruner Sol M.
Publication year - 2021
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/s1600576720014752
Subject(s) - small angle x ray scattering , scattering , beamline , macromolecule , materials science , small angle scattering , synchrotron , kinetic energy , chemical physics , synchrotron radiation , chemistry , crystallography , analytical chemistry (journal) , optics , chromatography , biochemistry , physics , beam (structure) , quantum mechanics
Pressure is a fundamental thermodynamic parameter controlling the behavior of biological macromolecules. Pressure affects protein denaturation, kinetic parameters of enzymes, ligand binding, membrane permeability, ion transduction, expression of genetic information, viral infectivity, protein association and aggregation, and chemical processes. In many cases pressure alters the molecular shape. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) is a primary method to determine the shape and size of macromolecules. However, relatively few SAXS cells described in the literature are suitable for use at high pressures and with biological materials. Described here is a novel high‐pressure SAXS sample cell that is suitable for general facility use by prioritization of ease of sample loading, temperature control, mechanical stability and X‐ray background minimization. Cell operation at 14 keV is described, providing a q range of 0.01 < q < 0.7 Å −1 , pressures of 0–400 MPa and an achievable temperature range of 0–80°C. The high‐pressure SAXS cell has recently been commissioned on the ID7A beamline at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source and is available to users on a peer‐reviewed proposal basis.