Using polycapillary X-ray optics, the intensity of the Cu K alpha radi
ation from a Rigaku RU200 rotating-anode generator was increased remar
kably compared with Supper double focusing mirrors. A crystal of a dou
ble mutant of trichosanthin diffracted beyond 1.9 Angstrom with the ap
plication of the polycapillary optics and 2.0 Angstrom resolution data
with an overall R-sym of 8.4% were collected, while the same crystal
only diffracted to about 2.62 Angstrom using the radiation from double
focusing mirrors. A small crystal of acidic phospholipase A2 from sna
ke venom diffracted to 2.2 Angstrom employing the polycapillary optics
and the overall R-sym for the data collected was 8.6%. The same cryst
al only diffracted to about 2.7 Angstrom using double focusing mirrors
. The average intensity of reflections and the signal-to-noise ratio f
or both of the crystals increased dramatically with the application of
the polycapillary X-ray optics. This new kind of X-ray optic has been
used to collect good-quality diMaction data for a number of protein c
rystals.