There is quite a bit of literature on this, but my favorite paper is this:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18391402
Towards a rational approach for heavy-atom derivative screening in
protein crystallography.
Spoiler: The overall winner is ethyl mercury phosphate (Figure 7). Of
course, chemistry will dictate your success (as every article and book
chapter on this topic stresses). Check out quick soak literature, but
not halides like sodium bromide (less likely to work at your resolution).
Engin
On 1/15/14, 11:18 AM, RHYS GRINTER wrote:
Hello message board,
My group has some crystals of an interesting protein to take to the synchrotron
in a couple of weeks. We won't be able to prepare and crystallise a SelMet
derivative during that time period, but we have loads of crystals sitting
around. The diffraction isn't great, we see maybe 3.5 at home but might be
enough to get over the line.
It will be a very difficult MR target, so we were thinking of soaking so
crystals with heavy atomic compounds that we have lying around. I was wondering
if people had any suggestions of compounds that people have used successfully
for experimental phasing and maybe concentrations to use and soaking time.
Cheers,
Rhys