LYSOZYME CRYSTALLIZATION BY VAPOR DIFFUSION - CHARACTERIZATION AND MODELING IN THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF EXOGENOUS MINERALS

A model accounting for water evaporation and crystal growth was synthesized to simulate protein concentration profiles in the crystallization wells of a vapor-diffusion apparatus. The model calculations were compared with experimental results obtained with chicken egg white lysozyme crystallized in the absence and presence of exogenous mineral particles. The model predicted the increase in protein concentration during water evaporation and the decrease during crystal growth. The effects of magnetite, galena and chalcopyrite on the time profile of dissolved lysozyme concentration appeared minimal, except for the occurrence of earlier nucleation in the presence of magnetite. Few of the lysozyme crystals formed were physically associated with these minerals. More protein crystals were associated with topaz, lepidolite and apophyllite, which exhibit a close match of their crystalline lattice to that of lysozyme.