OBSERVATION OF THE CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTION AROUND A GROWING LYSOZYME CRYSTAL

The optical path length distribution of the solution around a growing lysozyme crystal was observed in situ using a Michelson interferometer of the reflection type. From the interferograms, a concentration profile around a growing crystal and the growth rate were obtained and thus, we could evaluate the diffusion coefficient of the lysozyme molecules to be 1.59 x 10(-10) m2/s. The measurement of the visocity of the solution rendered it possible to estimate the Strokes radius of the diffusing entities which coincided with the crystallographic size of a lysozyme molecule.