Extending X-ray Crystallography to Allow Structure Retrieval from Highly Disordered Crystals and Nanocrystals

X射线晶体学是结构生物学中最重要的工具之一，负责今天解决的80%以上的蛋白质结构。然而，获得X射线衍射数据关键取决于具有大的高质量晶体。许多蛋白质，特别是膜蛋白，只能形成纳米晶体或质量差的晶体，这阻止了它们的结构被解析。该项目旨在将X射线相干衍射成像和X射线晶体学的思想联合收割机，以开发一种可用于从高度无序的纳米晶体或晶体中恢复结构的方法。一个特别的重点将放在解决膜蛋白的结构，这是在药物开发中特别重要。

X-ray crystallography is one of the most important tools in structural biology, responsible for over 80 per cent of the protein structures solved today. Obtaining X-ray diffraction data however is critically dependent on having large, high quality crystals. Many proteins, particularly membrane proteins, only form nanocrystals or crystals of poor quality which prevents their structure being solved. This project aims to combine ideas from X-ray coherent diffraction imaging and X-ray crystallography to develop a method that can be used for structure retrieval from nanocrystals or crystals which are highly disordered. A particular emphasis will be placed on solving the structure of membrane proteins which are of special importance in drug development.