ENGINEERING OF PROTEIN CRYSTALLIZATION

ABSTRACT

Proteins are biological macromolecules and function in an aqueous environment, so protein crystallization is predominantly carried out in water. Protein crystallization is generally considered challenging due to the restrictions of the aqueous environment, difficulties in obtaining high-quality protein samples, as well as sensitivity of protein samples to temperature, pH, ionic strength, and other factors. Proteins vary greatly in their physicochemical characteristics, and so crystallization of a particular protein is rarely predictable. Determination of appropriate crystallization conditions for a given protein often requires empirical testing of many conditions before a successful crystallization condition is found.

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