Crystal Screening and X-Ray Structure Core

Director: Joanne Yeh, PhD.

The Crystal Screening and Crystal Structure core is responsible for (1) developing crystallization and additive screens formulated specifically for protein complexes to optimize the probability of obtaining diffracting crystals and (2) to solve structures of HIV accessory/regulatory proteins using high-throughput approaches for crystallization, data collection, and structure determination. The ultimate goal is to solve the structures of HIV accessory/regulatory proteins in complexes with cellular proteins and to accomplish this by using rational approaches.

The PCHPI makes use of the X-ray facility of the Department of Structural Biology, which occupies ~1500 sq. ft. suite, on the first floor of BST3. The facility is partitioned into six rooms, containing multiple generators and detectors. The range of equipment available allows for optimal data collection from very small and normal sized crystals, and from crystals with large unit cells which typically contain very large proteins, viruses, or protein-protein assemblies. One of the generators also utilizes an ACTOR robot for automatically mounting and collecting data on a series of crystals, rapidly screening them for diffraction characteristics. Three additional labs, devoted to crystallization and computational analysis, contain equipment for automatic preparation of crystallization screening trays and for automatic and unattended imaging of these trays, as well as equipment for microscopy, and data analysis. The X-ray suite is supplemented by two environmentally controlled rooms dedicated to grow, store, and monitor crystals, at ambient temperature and at 4°C.