Crystallization of Proteins and Nucleic Acids at the Centre of Molecular Structure, IBT CAS

Jiří Pavlíček, Jan Stránský, Ľubica Škultétyová, Magdalena Schneiderová, Jan Dohnálek

Institute of Biotechnology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průmyslová 595, 25250 Vestec

jiri.pavlicek@ibt.cas.cz

Diffraction analysis of single crystals is one of the main approaches in structural biology. The Centre of Molecular Structure in IBT CAS (BIOCEV, Vestec) includes a core facility, devoted entirely to the crystallization of biomacromolecules and their complexes. It is equipped with robots that automatically set up crystallization experiments, as well as with crystallization hotels, that can monitor and screen the crystallization process using several techniques. One of the latest improvements to this facility is the SONICC instrument (Formulatrix comp.). It is connected to the RI1000 crystallization hotel and enables screening of experiments using SHG (Second Harmonic Generation) and UV-TPEF (Ultraviolet Two-Photon Excited Fluorescence). This allows the detection of microcrystals and even nanocrystals, which is essential for various methodical app