Robot for lipidic cubic phase (LCP) crystallization of membrane proteins

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We are here requesting a robot for lipidic cubic phase (LCP) crystallization of membrane proteins that will be part of the CFI-funded institutional Facility for Structural Biology (FSB) in the Biochemistry Department at the Université de Montréal. Due to their hydrophobic nature, it is extremely difficult to overproduce and purify membrane proteins for structural analysis. Progress over the last 5-10 years using different detergent screens, stabilization strategies (e.g. fusion with stabilizing domains or by anti- or nanobodies) have rendered some membrane proteins accessible to X-ray crystallographic analysis. A particularly successful approach is the crystallization in LCP or in meso in which membrane proteins are crystallized in a gel-like lipid-based matrix that bears similarity to the membrane. Protein crystals grown in LCP make contacts through hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic portions resulting in lower solvent content and better crystals. However, the existing robotic equipment at Université de Montréal, McGill and Concordia does not allow the screening of LCP crystallization conditions since the available robots can not handle the extreme viscosity of the LCP solutions (often compared to tooth paste). This limits the ongoing research on crystallization of membrane proteins, not only in our institution, but in the entire structure biology research community in Montréal. The need and urgency of the acquisition of this instrumentation are reflected by the fact that leading structural biologists from Concordia and McGill are co-applicants. The LCP robot will be readily accessible to the entire structure biology research community in Montréal.