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，今天解决的80%以上的蛋白质结构都是由x射线晶体学解决的。然而，获得x射线衍射数据关键取决于拥有大而高质量的晶体。许多蛋白质，特别是膜蛋白，只能形成纳米晶体或质量较差的晶体，这使得它们的结构无法被解决。本项目旨在结合x射线相干衍射成像和x射线晶体学的思想，开发一种可用于从纳米晶体或高度无序的晶体中提取结构的方法。将特别强调解决膜蛋白的结构，这在药物开发中具有特别重要的意义。

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.