MACROMOLECULAR CRYSTALLOGRAPHY USING SYNCHROTRON RADIATION - PROGRESS ON STATION-9.5 AND A NOVEL (TOAST-RACK) DETECTOR SCHEME FOR LAUE DIFFRACTION

Synchrotron radiation is widely applied in the study of macromolecular structure using crystallographic methods. The combined properties of the high intensity at short wavelengths and the collimation are strikingly successful in prolonging sample lifetime, improving peak to background of the intensity measurements, considerably reducing sample absorption errors, and optimising anomalous scattering of high atomic number elements bound to macromolecules for phase determination. The full polychromatic beam is used in Laue diffraction and is being perfected for quantitative X-ray crystal structure analysis. The synchrotron Laue method allows the study of time resolved or perturbation phenomena in crystals.