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Imaging system


We have a RockImager (Formulatrix, Inc., U.S.) to store plates at 19°C up and perform regular inspection up to 3 months. The pictures along with all the experimental parameters are accessible through the CRIMS interface. Our imaging system is UV capable. In theory, crystals of proteins are concentrated areas of protein, and glow brightly when illuminated with UV light. The UV imaging thus allows one to locate crystals easily. Furthermore, crystals that you can see in the UV images are most likely to be protein crystal. There are exemption in the case that If the protein has no tryptophan residues, the UV fluorescence will be minimal.
Most - but not all - salts do not fluoresce when illuminated UV light, so just because you see a crystal in a UV image does not guarantee that it is a protein crystal. Heavy protein precipitate will also fluoresce, for the same reason that crystals glow brightly - it is a concentrated region of protein. Some cofactors (haem, for example) appear to quench the UV fluorescence, and some of the chemicals used to crystallize proteins also attenuate the UV fluorescence - we have seen this with MPD, amongst other chemicals.
Schedule with VIS only (Default) => 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 84 days
Schedule with VIS and UV => 0, 1, 3, 7, 14 (VIS and UV), 28, 56 and 84 (VIS and UV) days
Schedule LCP Plates VIS => 0, 1, 3, 7 (VIS and UV), 14, 28, 56 and 84 days

Visible light
Visible light

UV light
UV light

What will happen to my plates once the imaging schedule is over?

Your plates will be kept in the imaging system until the last scheduled inspection is performed. After this period, you need to inform the staff if you want to get your expired plates or not. If yes, we will move your plates to the SPC crystallization room for user pick-up (48e building, L003).