Protein Crystallography Services

The Protein Crystallography Core at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is offering automated protein crystallization screening.

There are four major advantages of using protein crystallization robots instead of manual screening:

• Smaller quantities of protein are required to conduct screening.  The robot can use as little as 100 nanoliters per drop, meaning that 96 conditions can be screened with as little as 50-100 micrograms of protein. Conventional screening would require approximately 20 times more.  This allows you to work with proteins which can’t be expressed in large quantities, and probe many more crystallization conditions.
   

• Greater reproducibility. With its positive displacement system and motor-driven syringes, our protein crystallization robot will mix precise volumes of protein solution and various crystallization conditions.  Robots don’t make mistakes or deviate from protocol.
   

• Greater productivity.  Screens in 96-well format can be dispensed in less than 10 minutes.  With the traditional manual hanging drop method, it may take over an hour.  And robots don’t get tired or distracted.
   

• It is cost-effective.  It may cost up to $100 in supplies alone to test 96 conditions by traditional hanging drop crystallization screening.  We offer crystallization services for fraction of the price.