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Publication Abstract from PubMed

Microfluidic devices were designed to perform on micromoles of biological macromolecules and viruses the search and the optimization of crystallization conditions by counter-diffusion, as well as the on-chip analysis of crystals by X-ray diffraction. Chips composed of microchannels were fabricated in poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS), poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and cyclo-olefin-copolymer (COC) by three distinct methods, namely replica casting, laser ablation and hot embossing. The geometry of the channels was chosen to ensure that crystallization occurs in a convection-free environment. The transparency of the materials is compatible with crystal growth monitoring by optical microscopy. The quality of the protein 3D structures derived from on-chip crystal analysis by X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron radiation was used to identify the most appropriate polymers. Altogether the results demonstrate that for a novel biomolecule, all steps from the initial search of crystallization conditions to X-ray diffraction data collection for 3D structure determination can be performed in a single chip.

Microfluidic chips for the crystallization of biomacromolecules by counter-diffusion and on-chip crystal X-ray analysis.,Dhouib K, Khan Malek C, Pfleging W, Gauthier-Manuel B, Duffait R, Thuillier G, Ferrigno R, Jacquamet L, Ohana J, Ferrer JL, Theobald-Dietrich A, Giege R, Lorber B, Sauter C Lab Chip. 2009 May 21;9(10):1412-21. doi: 10.1039/b819362b. Epub 2009 Mar 2. PMID:19417908^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.