A Microrobotic System For Protein Streak Seeding
نویسندگان
چکیده
We present a microrobotic system for protein crystal micromanipulation tasks. The focus in this report is on a task called streak seeding, which is used by crystallographers to entice certain protein crystals to grow. Our system features a set of custom designed micropositioner end-effectors we call microshovels to replace traditional tools used by crystallographers for this task. We have used micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) techniques to design and manufacture various shapes and quantities of microshovels. Visual feedback from a camera mounted on the microscope is used to control the micropositioner as it lowers a microshovel into the liquid containing the crystals for poking and streaking. We present experimental results that illustrate the applicability of our approach.
منابع مشابه
Microrobotic Streak Seeding For Protein Crystal Growth
We present a microrobotic system for protein crystal micromanipulation tasks. The focus in this paper is on the task known to crystallographers as streak seeding – it is used to entice certain protein crystals to grow. Our system features a set of custom designed micropositioner end-effectors we call microshovels to replace traditional tools used by crystallographers for this task. We have used...
متن کاملStreak Seeding Automation Using Silicon Tools CUCS-015-06
This report presents an approach to automation of a protein crystallography task called streak seeding. The approach is based on novel and unique custom-designed silicon microtools, which we experimentally verified to produce results similar to the results from traditionally used boar bristles. The advantage to using silicon is that it allows the employment of state-of-the-art micro-electro-mec...
متن کاملIn Situ Random Microseeding and Streak Seeding Used for Growth of Crystals of Cold-Adapted -d-Galactosidases: Crystal Structure of DG from Arthrobacter sp. 32cB
There is an increasing demand for cold-adapted enzymes in a wide range of industrial branches. Nevertheless, structural information about them is still scarce. The knowledge of crystal structures is important to understand their mode of action and to design genetically engineered enzymes with enhanced activity. The most difficult task and the limiting step in structural studies of cold-adapted ...
متن کاملA Fully Autonomous Microrobotic Endoscopy System
In this paper, design of an autonomous microrobotic endoscopy system is presented. The proposed microrobotic endoscope is a vision-guided device, developed to facilitate navigation inside a human colon. The design of the entire system is divided into three areas viz. design of a microrobotic carrier, path planning and guidance, and an off-board control system. A microrobotic design based on pne...
متن کاملInvestigating Protein Structure Change in the Zona Pellucida with a Microrobotic System
In this paper we present a microrobotic system that integrates microscope vision and microforce feedback for characterizing biomembrane mechanical properties. We describe robust visual tracking of deformable biomembrane contours using physics-based models. A multi-axis microelectromechanical systems based force sensor is used to determine applied forces on biomembranes and to develop a novel bi...
متن کامل