Macromolecular Crystallography at the National Synchrotron Light Source

Macromolecular Crystallography at the National Synchrotron Light Source

Research Emphasis

The focus of this resource is to advance the state of macromolecular crystallography (PX) at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), with dissemination of research methods, designs, and computer codes to other synchrotron sources around the world. The resource teaches a world-class course in rapid synchrotron data collection for PX and structure solving. View the summary of the resource programs: A Research Resource for Macromolecular Crystallography at the NSLS.

Current Research

There are five major research projects underway in the resource: 1) development of the wiggler beamline X25 for macromolecular crystallography; 2) development of a shared computing system from inexpensive commodity computers; 3) remote monitoring and operation of beamline processes; 4) use of multilayer monochromators for macromolecular crystallography; and 5) three-beam phasing for macromolecular crystallography.

Resource Capabilities

Five NSLS beamlines are tied together in a consortium dedicated to PX. Two constructed with Department of Energy funding in the early 1980s, X12-B and X12-C, support a wide range of outside users, who gain access through the peer-reviewed General User Program of the NSLS, collaborators of the NCRR resource, and users from within the Biology Department's research program. At least half of the beam time at the wiggler beamline X25 is devoted to PX. Similarly, in collaboration with the biophysics group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, X8-C was built up and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, SUNY Stony Brook, and Georgia Research Alliance joined the Biology Department of the Brookhaven National Laboratory to bring X26C online; 25% of these two beamlines' time is available to general users. All beamlines are equipped with charge-coupled device-based area detectors, and three have four-circle diffractometers bear in the detectors. MAD phasing is performed routinely, and study of very-high-resolution diffraction or very large unit cells is available.