engleski

Synchrotron Radiation in Modern Structural Biology and Chemistry

The knowledge of exact and accurate 3D atomic structure of substances is prerequisite for understanding and prediction of their physical, chemical and biological properties. Therefore, the importance of X-ray diffraction, the most powerful method for structure characterisation, has been recognised in both material and life sciences. Continuous development of instrumentation and methodology for structure characterisation led to widespread use of synchrotron radiation. Although Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS), X-ray powder diffraction and a few other methods benefited from the use of synchrotrons, the new facilities, like UK-France DIAMOND, will be designed and built especially for macromolecular single crystal X-ray diffraction. There are several enhancements which make new synchrotron beam-lines very popular. Insertion devices, wigglers and undulators, provide high intensity of X-rays and push resolution limits of macromolecular crystals, as well as tiny small molecule crystals. X-ray optics provide very monochromatic radiation and enable wavelength tuning for anomalous data collection and structure solution using multiple anomalous dispersion (MAD) method. Extraordinary accurate software controlled focusing of the beam and sample handling enable micro-diffraction experiments to be performed on micro-crystals or pieces of larger crystals. Examples of synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments on macromolecular single crystals will be given, demonstrating high resolution data collection, MAD data collection and structure solution and micro-diffraction.

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