Automated Protein Crystallization Workstation by Hamilton Company

The crystallization of proteins is a multi-factorial process that depends on the interplay of several independent parameters, such as temperature, protein concentration, crystallization agent concentration, and the presence and nature of impurities or additives. To determine the optimal crystallization conditions, special screens for testing various conditions can be developed, and ready-mixed precipitate solutions can be applied.

In order to optimize this process, HAMILTON has developed the proprietary protein crystallization workstation based on the MICROLAB STAR or STARlet and the ScreenDeveloper software. ScreenDeveloper permits the user to define the distribution of a chemical reagent across the wells of a plate. The distribution options include:

• distribution scope: range of wells the distribution will cover • distribution pattern: incremental concentration steps across the distribution