University of California

Derek T Yegian

Raymond C Stevens

Earl Cornell

Robert A Nordmeyer

Bernard D Santarsiero

Joseph M Jaklevic

Peter G Schultz

William F Kolbe

Gyorgy Snell

Carl W Cork

Thomas N Earnest

Jian Jin

Robert K Cheng

Peter G Shultz

Joseph M Jaklevich

Arthur L Jones

Donald C Uber

Earl W Cornell

A method and apparatus for the transportation, remote and unattended mounting, and visual alignment and monitoring of protein crystals for synchrotron generated x-ray diffraction analysis. The protein samples are maintained at liquid nitrogen temperatures at all times: during shipment, before mounting, mounting, alignment, data acquisition and following removal. The samples must additionally be stably aligned to within a few microns at a point in space. The ability to accurately perform these tasks remotely and automatically leads to a significant increase in sample throughput and reliability for high-volume protein characterization efforts. Since the protein samples are placed in a shipping-compatible layered stack of sample cassettes each holding many samples, a large number of samples can be shipped in a single cryogenic shipping container.

Integrated crystal mounting and alignment system for high-throughput biological crystallography

A method is provided for performing array microcrystallizations to determine suitable crystallization conditions for a molecule, the method comprising: forming an array of microcrystallizations, each microcrystallization comprising a drop comprising a mother liquor solution whose composition varies within the array and a molecule to be crystallized, the drop having a volume of less than 1 microliter; storing the array of microcrystallizations under conditions suitable for molecule crystals to form in the drops in the array; and detecting molecule crystal formation in the drops by taking images of the drops.

Automated method for setting up multiple crystallization experiments in submicroliter volumes

A method is provided for forming crystallization experiments for a molecule, the method comprising forming a plurality of crystallization experiments that comprise a molecule to be crystallized and a composition that varies among the plurality of crystallization experiments, the crystallization experiments having a volume less than 1 microliter, the volumes of the plurality of crystallization experiments varying among the experiments by less than 25 nL.

Method for performing submicroliter crystallization experiments with high experiment to experiment precision

Method for performing high density submicroliter crystallization experiments

A method is provided for performing crystallization experiments for a molecule, the method comprising performing a plurality of crystallization experiments where the crystallization experiments have volumes of less than 1 microliter, the crystallization experiments comprising a molecule to be crystallized and a composition that varies among the plurality of crystallization experiments detecting crystal formation in the crystallization experiments.

Method for performing submicroliter crystallization experiments

A method is provided for characterizing a crystal structure of a molecule, the method comprising performing a plurality of crystallization experiments where the crystallization experiments have volumes of less than 1 microliter, the crystallization experiments comprising a molecule to be crystallized and a composition that varies among the plurality of crystallization experiments and diffracting a crystal formed in one of the crystallization experiments.

Method for diffracting crystals formed by submicroliter crystallization experiments

Method for screening microcrystallizations for crystal formation

A method is provided for performing array microcrystallizations to determine suitable crystallization conditions for a molecule. The method comprises forming an array of microcrystallizations, each microcrystallization comprising a drop containing a molecule to be crystallized, the drop having a volume of less than 1 &mgr;L; storing the array of microcrystallizations under conditions suitable for molecule crystals to form in the drops in the array; and detecting molecule crystal formation in the drops.

Methods and apparatus for performing array microcrystallizations

Disclosed is a mechanical swirler for generating diverging flow in lean premixed fuel burners. The swirler of the present invention includes a central passage with an entrance for accepting a feed gas, a flow balancing insert that introduces additional pressure drop beyond that occurring in the central passage in the absence of the flow balancing insert, and an exit aligned to direct the feed gas into a combustor. The swirler also has an annular passage about the central passage and including one or more vanes oriented to impart angular momentum to feed gas exiting the annular passage. The diverging flow generated by the swirler stabilizes lean combustion thus allowing for lower production of pollutants, particularly oxides of nitrogen.

Mechanical swirler for a low-NO.sub.x, weak-swirl burner

Growing community of inventors

Oakland, CA, United States of America

Derek T Yegian