Hi Cedric, I haven't read this paper, but there's already a system available for roomtemp data collection that works quite well. Check out http://www.mitegen.com/products/micrort/micrort.shtml Instead of a capillary they use thin polyester tubing that you slide over (special) bases so that everything is reasonably airtight. It apparently has also less background scatter compared to capillaries. Compared to the old ways of cutting capillaries etc this works like a breeze. Cheers, Bert (not affiliated to mitegen in any way, except as a customer...). Bert van den Berg University of Massachusetts Medical School Program in Molecular Medicine Biotech II, 373 Plantation Street, Suite 115 Worcester MA 01605 Phone: 508 856 1201 (office); 508 856 1211 (lab) e-mail: bert.vandenb...@umassmed.edu http://www.umassmed.edu/pmm/faculty/vandenberg.cfm
________________________________ From: CCP4 bulletin board on behalf of cedric bauvois Sent: Fri 1/16/2009 9:27 AM To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK Subject: [ccp4bb] cryoloops for X-ray data collection from protein crystals at room temperature Dear CCP4ers, in their paper entitled " Using cryoloops for X-ray data collection from protein crystals at room temperature: A simple applicable method" ( Journal of Crystal Growth <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00220248> Volume 281, Issues 2-4 <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%235302%232005%23997189997%23601824%23FLA%23&_cdi=5302&_pubType=J&view=c&_auth=y&_acct=C000026678&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=532047&md5=9a4e7b2fc158c6d2396925c79d995e3d> , 1 August 2005, Pages 592-595.), the authors present a way to mount crystals using "a cryoloop accompanied by a glass capillary cap" (see abstract below). Do you know if any commercial version of such system are now available ? Abstract: Although cryoloops are now routinely used for X-ray data collection from protein crystals in cryocooling condition, it is still necessary to collect X-ray diffraction data from protein crystals at room temperature under such circumstances as to find resolution limit and/or to avoid damage of protein crystals at cryogenic temperature (e.g. 100 K). Here, we show that a cryoloop, which is accompanied by a glass capillary cap to maintain humid environment of crystal in the cryoloop, can be used not only to examine protein or non-protein crystals but also to collect X-ray diffraction data for structural analysis from protein crystals at room temperature. The size of cryoloop should be carefully chosen so that the crystal does not move in the cryoloop. This crystal mounting method can be time-saving compared to the traditional method to mount a crystal in a glass capillary tube. Many thanks -- Dr. Cedric Bauvois Cristallographie des protéines Institut de Recherches Microbiologiques JM Wiame -IRMW Av E. Gryzon 1, 1070 Brussels (Belgium) tél: +32 (0)2 5273634 fax: +32 (0)2 5267273