The macromolecular crystallography facility at the advanced light source

Abstract

Synchrotron radiation offers several advantages over the use of rotating anode sources for biological crystallography, which allow for the collection of higher-resolution data, substantially more rapid data collection, phasing by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) techniques, and time-resolved experiments using polychromatic radiation (Laue diffraction). The use of synchrotron radiation is often necessary to record useful data from crystals which diffract weakly or have very large unit cells. The high brightness and stability characteristics of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, along with the low emittance and long straight sections to accommodate insertion devices present in third generation synchrotrons like the ALS, lead to several advantages in the field of macromolecular crystallography. We are presently constructing macromolecular Crystallography Facility at the ALS which is optimized for user-friendliness and high-throughput data collection, with advanced capabilities for MAD and Laue experiments. The x rays will be directed to three branchlines. A well-equipped support lab will be available for biochemistry, crystal mounting, and sample storage, as well as computer hardware and software available, along with staff support, allowing for the complete processing of data on site.