Protein Crystallography

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Tracey Barrett
• Tutor: Professor Nicholas Keep
• Assessment: a 1.5-hour examination (66%) and coursework (34%)

Protein crystallography is a particularly useful tool for determining the 3D structures of highly homogeneous proteins and macromolecular complexes. It is also well suited for the dissection of protein-ligand assemblies at high resolution. This module describes the process by which these end-points are achieved, comprehensively covering how proteins are crystallised and the techniques used to determine their structures and once obtained, how these structures are refined and validated.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• describe the theoretical basis underlying protein crystallisation, crystal symmetry, the diffraction process and the acquisition of X-ray data using modern detectors and synchrotron radiation
• explain the ways in which protein structures can be determined given the availability of a homologous structure or de-novo
• describe the refinement process and the methods used for structure validation
• evaluate the quality of a protein crystal structure.