The SLS crystallisation platform at beamline X06DA

X-ray crystallography is the most widely used technique for macromolecular structure determination. However, it requires the production of suitable crystals, an iterative and time-consuming process which remains unpredictable. Hence, the rational of the Crystallisation Facility at the Swiss Light Source at the Paul Scherrer Institut was to streamline the steps between intial crystallisation hits and respective X-ray diffraction images, taking advantage of full integration into the synchrotron beamline X06DA. This unique and fully automated set-up allows initial crystals to be tested for their X-ray diffraction characteristics in situ, i.e. directly in the crystallisation container without post-crystallisation treatment, which could harm the crystal and hamper diffraction.