In situ screening of crystallization trials continues to be a topic of importance. In situ screening allows one to determine if the crystal-like object in a trial is salt, protein or something else of interest. Furthermore, crystal quality can be assessed before cryoprotection is attempted, providing a means to better optimize this step. Finally, some crystals are well-behaved enough that complete or nearly-complete data sets can be collected in situ, eliminating the need for harvesting and cryoportection altogether.
In this presentation we will show results from a newly developed automated in situ screening system designed specifically to work with legacy Rigaku diffractometers, extending their utility. The system is easy to install and deinstall so one can go from collecting data on cryo-protected samples to in situ screening in minutes. The system uses the same software as the Rigaku Oxford Diffraction PXScanner, CrystalEyes, making the transition between dedicated and part time systems easy.