Microbatch macromolecular crystallization in micropipettes

Abstract

A microbatch crystallization method suitable for macromolecular crystal growth is described. Solutions in the 1 μl range are set up in micropipettes with very small inner diameter. The packaging is robust, compact and neat. Surface area of solution exposed to the atmosphere is much smaller than in a hanging drop vapor diffusion experiment. Small sample volumes make the packaging ideal for screening experiments, but crystals large enough for diffraction studies can be grown in, and recovered from, the micropipettes.