Metal-Assisted and Microwave-Accelerated Evaporative Crystallization: Proof-of-Principle Application to Proteins

Abstract

Rapid crystallization of a model protein, i.e., lysozyme, on blank and silvered circular crystallization platforms with 21 sample capacity, using the metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated evaporative crystallization (MA-MAEC) technique is described. The effectiveness of the MA-MAEC technique for the crystallization of lysozyme was compared to the conventional crystallization technique (i.e., at room temperature without microwave heating) based on the following parameters: crystallization time, crystal size, crystal number, and crystal quality. Using silvered platforms, the growth of lysozyme crystals was concluded within 857 ± 31 min and 565 ± 64 min, at room temperature and using the MA-MAEC technique (microwave power level 1 or duty cycle of 3 s in a kitchen microwave oven), respectively. On blank platforms (silver is omitted), the growth of lysozyme crystals was concluded within 1190 ± 14 min and 955 ± 50 min, at room temperature and using microwave heating. The largest sizes of lysozyme crystals (2...