Distance Learning: Techniques in Structural Molecular Biology (TSMB)

This section provides an introduction to the tools and techniques used in determining protein structures by X-ray crystallography.

• Apparatus for X-ray Crystallography

The X-ray Source
The optics
The Mounted Crystal
Phi Rotation Axis
The X-ray Detector
Other Apparatus

• Collecting Data

The First Image
Bragg's Law
Crystal and Data Symmetry

• Solving the Phase Problem

Molecular Replacement
Isomorphous Replacement
Anomalous Scattering

• Building and Refining the Structure

Calculating the Electron Density Map
Refinement
N.B. Analysing the Structure is covered in Sections 10 and 12

Objectives

To teach the basic principles of protein crystallography in a step-by-step manner. This is a very introductory and non-mathematical treatment of a complex subject. At the end of this section, students should

• Know the different types of X-ray source and detector used in protein crystallography
• Understand what a unit cell, an assymmetric unit and a space group is
• Understand the steps involved in data collection and structure refinement
• Understand the general principles of the different methods used to determine phases