2-D Polymer-Based Device for Serial X-Ray Crystallography

Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a polymer-based fixed target chip designed to enable high-throughput, room temperature, hydrated serial X-ray crystallography of protein and other microcrystals with minimal sample consumption and background interference.

Full Description

This technology introduces a rapidly fabricated polymer chip system optimized for serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. It utilizes thin, low-background, water barrier polymer films to house microfluidic chambers tailored to crystal size, allowing for on-chip crystallization, easy sample loading, and long-term hydration stability. The design incorporates chemically functionalized surfaces to promote selective crystal nucleation, and flexible spacer layers for precise control of chamber volumes and background reduction. The chip is compatible with a wide range of X-ray sources, including XFELs and synchrotrons, facilitating automated, dynamic, and remote diffraction experiments while minimizing crystal handling and damage.

Applications

• Structural biology and drug discovery for protein-ligand complex studies. 
• Pharmaceutical research involving high-throughput protein crystallography. 
• Academic and industry synchrotron and XFEL beamline sample delivery. 
• Time-resolved studies of dynamic biological function using reaction-triggered crystallography. 
• Nanoparticle and inorganic crystal characterization in material science. 
• Automated crystallography screening platforms in structural genomics centers. 
• Biotechnology research requiring room temperature, hydrated sample analysis.

Features/Benefits

• Preserves crystal hydration for days to weeks, enabling room-temperature measurements. 
• Reduces X‑ray background by matching chamber thickness to crystal size, minimizing air and solution scatter. 
• Enables on‑chip crystallization by functionalizing surfaces to promote selective protein nucleation. 
• Supports synchrotron, XFEL, and compact XFEL experiments, expanding usable beamline/source options. 
• Accelerates low-cost polymer fabrication and improves handling via robust mechanical supports. 
• Enables microfluidic workflows to perform ligand soaking, optical/photo-excitation, and reaction triggering. 
• Improves hit rates and reduces sample use by patterning crystal placement and optimizing scanning. 
• Enables diffraction analysis of micro- and nanocrystals, reducing dependence on large single crystals. 
• Prevents crystal damage and sample loss by eliminating difficult target transfer through direct on‑chip crystallization. 
• Avoids high sample consumption and clogging associated with liquid-jet delivery systems. 
• Enables stable long-term storage and transport of hydrated crystal samples to beamlines. 
• Ensures consistent diffraction data by improving crystal positioning and orientation reproducibility.

Patent Status