A COMPARISON OF MICROBATCH AND VAPOR DIFFUSION FOR INITIAL SCREENING OF CRYSTALLIZATION CONDITIONS

Six commercially available proteins were screened using the ''sparse m atrix'' solutions of Jancarik and Kim (with modifications by Hampton R esearch Inc.). The screens were performed using the most common vapour diffusion method and three variants of the microbatch crystallization method, including a novel evaporation technique, Out of 58 crystalliz ation conditions identified, 43 (74%) were identified by microbatch, w hile 41 (71%) were identified by vapour diffusion. 26 conditions were found by both methods, and 17 (29%) would have been missed if microbat ch had not been used at all. The evaporation technique provided the be st microbatch method finding a total of 34 conditions.