Synchrotron Structural Biology

Written By Dina Hussein

Client

Belgium (Synchrotron Facilities in Germany & the United Kingdom)

Technologies

  • X-ray Crystallography

  • Protein & RNA Crystallization

  • Molecular Cloning

  • Protein Expression & Purification

  • Thermal Shift Assay (TSA)

  • Synchrotron Data Collection

Project Overview

A multidisciplinary structural biology project focused on determining high-resolution structures of viral and enzymatic targets, including Zika virus and HIV reverse transcriptase. The project integrated molecular biology, protein production, crystallization, and synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction to accelerate structure determination.

Scope of Work

  • Designed genetic constructs and performed molecular cloning.

  • Executed protein expression, scale-up, and purification workflows.

  • Conducted biochemical characterization and thermal stability screening (TSA).

  • Performed crystallization trials using hanging-drop and vapor-diffusion methods.

  • Collected synchrotron diffraction data and completed structural determination.

Innovation

Delivered a fully integrated structural biology pipeline, combining molecular engineering, crystallization, and synchrotron-based data collection to streamline high-resolution structure determination across both protein and RNA targets.

Results

  • Successfully resolved biologically significant macromolecular structures.

  • Optimized crystallization and diffraction workflows.

  • Accelerated structural analysis for complex therapeutic targets.

  • Established reproducible protocols for future structural biology studies.

Technical Impact

Provided end-to-end structural biology capabilities—from construct design and protein production to synchrotron data acquisition—enabling faster and more reliable structure determination for complex biological systems.

Dina Hussein
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