Protein and Macromolecular Crystallography Optics

Our X-ray focussing optical systems for protein crystallography are complete instruments designed to integrate seamlessly into popular macromolecular diffraction installations. They have been designed in collaboration with expert protein crystallographers to provide the optimum signal/noise ratio possible for data collection from all crystal sizes and popular ancilliary equipment configurations.

Your diffraction lab has two key tasks: To provide feedback on crystal quality to refine crystallisation and buffering factors etc. for further analysis, and then to produce the best structure data possible from the resulting crystals. For difficult crystals, you need quantitatively significant data from the first of these tasks to achieve meaningful results from the second, or provide the best possible crystals for synchrotron analysis. Crucially - a failure at the crystal-refinement stage can halt all progress toward achieving a molecular structure refinement. The unmatched signal/noise ratios demonstrated by our PX systems provide the best feedback information in this process, often salvaging otherwise unpromising development lines and minimising the number of crystal refinement cycles to achieve a structure. Our lab PX systems achieve equivalent signal/noise ratios to the best synchrotron PX beamlines - in some cases, better - producing the best data of ANY lab crystallography system. Our users report merging their lab and synchrotron datasets to improve their refinements.

The extraordinary performance of our PX systems compared to confocal mirror systems is due to:
  • A single reflection from source to specimen, with over 90% reflection efficiency
  • Shorter beam paths for better flux collection solid-angle and source brightness utilisation
  • Less optical aberration resulting in narrower, more intense beams and sharper beam foci
  • Smaller beam diameters producing less background scatter and more X-rays intercepting the specimen

  • PX Systems - Specifications - Information Library


    S100PX Optical System
    (PX50 Optical System)

    Application: Rotating-anode generators, Cu target, 0.1x1 focus cup
    Beam size at specimen: 0.1mm full width
    Cell-edge resolution: 400 Angstrom

    Specifications

    Frequently Asked Questions

    User Publications

    Techniques Library and User Anecdotes


    S100HRPX Optical System


    Application: Rotating-anode generators, Cu target, 0.1x1 focus cup
    Beam size at specimen: 0.15mm full width
    Cell-edge resolution: 800 Angstrom

    Specifications

    Frequently Asked Questions

    User Publications

    Techniques Library and User Anecdotes


    S70PX Optical System


    Application: 0.07x0.7mm-focus rotating-anode generators, Cu target
    Beam size at specimen: 0.1mm full width
    Cell-edge resolution: 400 Angstrom

    Specifications

    Frequently Asked Questions

    User Publications

    Techniques Library and User Anecdotes


    HOME
    (c) Copyright AXCO 2004