Assam: 3 more test positive for covid-19; Tally surges to 59

Much to the relief of farmers, e-auctioning of tobacco, which has been suspended since the lockdown came into effect, will recommence in two auction p

Collector directs the PSUs to hold mock drill on disaster preparedness within a week

23 deaths pushes toll to 472; 2091 patients recover

Lockdown till May 31 can stall pandemic: Study

33 more Covid-19 cases have been reported from Rajasthan, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 3,741, said the state health department on Sunday.

According to the State govt., 29 new cases were reported from Ganjam district followed by Balasore and Angul with 15 and 13 cases.

Maharashtra has the highest number of cases with around 20,228 positive cases of infection and 779 deaths.

The Covid-19 count of Haryana on Saturday reached 675 as 28 new cases, which includes 25 from the national capital region (NCR) were reported. A 22-year-old TB patient also succumbed to Covid-19 in Panipat taking death toll to 9 in the state.

Efficient sample delivery is an essential aspect of serial crystallography at both synchrotrons and X-ray free-electron lasers. Rastering fixed target chips through the X-ray beam is an efficient method for serial delivery from the perspectives of both sample consumption and beam time usage. Here, an approach for loading fixed targets using acoustic drop ejection is presented that does not compromise crystal quality, can reduce sample consumption by more than an order of magnitude and allows serial diffraction to be collected from a larger proportion of the crystals in the slurry.

Detection of heavy elements, such as metals, in macromolecular crystallography (MX) samples by X-ray fluorescence is a function traditionally covered at synchrotron MX beamlines by silicon drift detectors, which cannot be used at X-ray free-electron lasers because of the very short duration of the X-ray pulses. Here it is shown that the hybrid pixel charge-integrating detector JUNGFRAU can fulfill this function when operating in a low-flux regime. The feasibility of precise position determination of micrometre-sized metal marks is also demonstrated, to be used as fiducials for offline prelocation in serial crystallography experiments, based on the specific fluorescence signal measured with JUNGFRAU, both at the synchrotron and at SwissFEL. Finally, the measurement of elemental absorption edges at a synchrotron beamline using JUNGFRAU is also demonstrated.

Serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) is an emerging technique for static and time-resolved protein structure determination. Using specifically patterned silicon chips for sample delivery, the `hit-and-return' (HARE) protocol allows for efficient time-resolved data collection. The specific pattern of the crystal wells in the HARE chip provides direct access to many discrete time points. HARE chips allow for optical excitation as well as on-chip mixing for reaction initiation, making a large number of protein systems amenable to time-resolved studies. Loading of protein microcrystals onto the HARE chip is streamlined by a novel vacuum loading platform that allows fine-tuning of suction strength while maintaining a humid environment to prevent crystal dehydration. To enable the widespread use of time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography (TR-SSX), detailed technical descriptions of a set of accessories that facilitate TR-SSX workflows are provided.

An expectation maximization algorithm is implemented to resolve the indexing ambiguity which arises when merging data from many crystals in protein crystallography, especially in cases where partial reflections are recorded in serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) at XFELs.

This feature article reviews the control and understanding of nanoparticle shape from their crystallography and growth. Particular emphasis is placed on systems relevant for plasmonics and catalysis.

A neutron crystallographic study of perdeuterated transthyretin reveals important aspects of the structure relating to its stability and its propensity to form fibrils, as well as evidence of a single water molecule that affects the symmetry of the two binding pockets.

Today, there is very little doubt that chemistry owes as much to crystallography as crystallography does to chemistry. This mutual synergy defines modern chemical crystallography.

The transmembrane intracellular lectin ER–Golgi intermediate compartment protein 53 (ERGIC-53) and the soluble EF-hand multiple coagulation factor deficiency protein 2 (MCFD2) form a complex that functions as a cargo receptor, trafficking various glycoproteins between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus. It has been demonstrated that the carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) of ERGIC-53 (ERGIC-53CRD) interacts with N-linked glycans on cargo glycoproteins, whereas MCFD2 recognizes polypeptide segments of cargo glycoproteins. Crystal structures of ERGIC-53CRD complexed with MCFD2 and mannosyl oligosaccharides have revealed protein–protein and protein–sugar binding modes. In contrast, the polypeptide-recognition mechanism of MCFD2 remains largely unknown. Here, a 1.60 Å resolution crystal structure of the ERGIC-53CRD–MCFD2 complex is reported, along with three other crystal forms. Comparison of these structures with those previously reported reveal that MCFD2, but not ERGIC-53–CRD, exhibits significant conformational plasticity that may be relevant to its accommodation of various polypeptide ligands.

A novel monoclinic phase of human insulin co-crystallized with m-cresol was structurally characterized by means of powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

The crystal structure of the c-type cytochrome NirC from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been determined and reveals the simultaneous presence of monomers and 3D domain-swapped dimers in the same asymmetric unit.

From the perspective of a young(ish) structural biologist who currently specialises in macromolecular X-ray crystallography, are the best years of crystallography over? Some evidence and hopefully thought-provoking analysis is presented here on the subject.

An aluminium-deficient Al8Cr5-type inter­metallic with formula Al7.85Cr5.16 (octa­aluminium penta­chromium) was uncovered when high-pressure sinter­ing of a mixture with composition Al11Cr4 was carried out. Structure analysis reveals that there are three co-occupied positions with refined occupancy factors for Al atoms being 0.958, 0.772 and 1/2. The present phase is confirmed to be isotypic with the previously reported rhombohedral Al8Cr5 ordered phase [Bradley & Lu (1937). Z. Kristallogr. 96, 20–37] and structurally closely related to the disordered phases of rhombohedral Al16Cr9.5 and cubic Al8Cr5.

The title compound (systematic name: bis­{2-[4-(acet­yloxy)-1H-indol-3-yl]ethan-1-aminium} but-2-enedioate), 2C14H19N2O2+·C4H2O42−, has a single protonated psilacetin cation and one half of a fumarate dianion in the asymmetric unit. There are N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the ammonium H atoms and the fumarate O atoms, as well as N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the indole H atoms and the fumarate O atoms. The hydrogen bonds hold the ions together in infinite one-dimensional chains along [111].

Three new isotypic heteropolynuclear complexes, namely penta­aqua­carbonato­penta­kis­(glycinehydroxamato)nitrato­penta­copper(II)lanthanide(III) x-hydrate, [LnCu5(GlyHA)5(CO3)(NO3)(H2O)5]·xH2O (GlyHA2− is glycine­hydrox­amate, N-hy­droxy­glycinamidate or amino­aceto­hydroxamate, C2H4N2O22−), with lanthanide(III) (LnIII) = gadolinium (Gd, 1, x = 3.5), dysprosium (Dy, 2, x = 3.28) and holmium (Ho, 3, x = 3.445), within a 15-metallacrown-5 class were obtained on reaction of lanthanide(III) nitrate, copper(II) acetate and sodium glycinehydroxamate. Complexes 1–3 contain five copper(II) ions and five bridging GlyHA2− anions, forming a [CuGlyHA]5 metallamacrocyclic core. The LnIII ions are coordinated to the metallamacrocycle through five O-donor hydroxamates. The electroneutrality of complexes 1–3 is achieved by a bidentate carbonate anion coordinated to the LnIII ion and a monodentate nitrate anion coordinated apically to one of the copper(II) ions of the metallamacrocycle. The lattice parameters of complexes 1–3 are similar to those previously reported for an EuIII–CuII 15-metallacrown-5 complex with glycine­hydroxamate of proposed composition [EuCu5(GlyHA)5(OH)(NO3)2(H2O)4]·3.5H2O [Stemmler et al. (1999). Inorg. Chem. 38, 2807–2817]. High-quality X-ray data obtained for 1–3 have allowed a re-evaluation of the X-ray data solution proposed earlier for the EuCu5 complex and suggest that the formula is actually [EuCu5(GlyHA)5(CO3)(NO3)(H2O)5]·3.5H2O.

The equimolar reaction between a racemic mixture of (R)- and (S)-camphorquinone with thio­semicarbazide yielded the title compound, C11H17N3OS [common name: (R)- and (S)-camphor thio­semicarbazone], which maintains the chirality of the methyl­ated chiral carbon atoms and crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group C2/c. There are two mol­ecules in general positions in the asymmetric unit, one of them being the (1R)-camphor thio­semicarbazone isomer and the second the (1S)- isomer. In the crystal, the mol­ecular units are linked by C—H⋯S, N—H⋯O and N—H⋯S inter­actions, building a tape-like structure parallel to the (overline{1}01) plane, generating R21(7) and R22(8) graph-set motifs for the H⋯S inter­actions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the major contributions for crystal cohesion are from H⋯H (55.00%), H⋯S (22.00%), H⋯N (8.90%) and H⋯O (8.40%) inter­actions.

The title compound, bis­(4-hy­droxy-N-isopropyl-N-methyl­tryptammonium) (4-HO-MiPT) fumarate (systematic name: bis­{[2-(4-hy­droxy-1H-indol-3-yl)eth­yl](meth­yl)propan-2-yl­aza­nium} but-2-enedioate), 2C14H21N2O+·C4H2O42−, has a singly protonated tryptammonium cation and one half of a fumarate dianion in the asymmetric unit. The tryptammonium and fumarate ions are held together in one-dimensional chains by N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. These chains are a combination of R42(20) rings, and C22(15) and C44(30) parallel chains along (110). They are further consolidated by N—H⋯π inter­actions. There are two two-component types of disorder impacting the tryptammonium fragment with a 0.753 (7):0.247 (7) occupancy ratio and one of the fumarate oxygen atoms with a 0.73 (8):0.27 (8) ratio.

The title compound, [Mn(C3H7NO)4(H2O)2][Cu5(C7H4NO3)4]·C3H7NO or cis-[Mn(H2O)2(DMF)4]{Cu[12-MCCu(II)N(shi)-4]}·DMF, where MC is metallacrown, shi3− is salicyl­hydroximate, and DMF is N,N-di­methyl­formamide, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n. Two crystallographically independent metallacrown anions are present in the structure, and both anions exhibit minor main mol­ecule disorder by an approximate (non-crystallographic) 180° rotation with occupancy ratios of 0.9010 (9) to 0.0990 (9) for one anion and 0.9497 (8) to 0.0503 (8) for the other. Each penta­copper(II) metallacrown contains four CuII ions in the MC ring and a CuII ion captured in the central cavity. Each CuII ion is four-coordinate with a square-planar geometry. The anionic {Cu[12-MCCu(II)N(shi)-4]}2− is charged-balanced by the presence of a cis-[Mn(H2O)2(DMF)4]2+ cation located in the lattice. In addition, the octa­hedral MnII counter-cation is hydrogen bonded to both MC anions via the coordinated water mol­ecules of the MnII ion. The water mol­ecules form hydrogen bonds with the phenolate and carbonyl oxygen atoms of the shi3− ligands of the MCs.

The in meso in situ serial X-ray crystallography method was developed to ease the handling of small fragile crystals of membrane proteins and for rapid data collection on hundreds of microcrystals directly in the growth medium without the need for crystal harvesting. To facilitate mounting of these in situ samples on a goniometer at cryogenic or at room temperatures, two new 3D-printed holders have been developed. They provide for cubic and sponge phase sample stability in the X-ray beam and are compatible with sample-changing robots. The holders can accommodate a variety of window material types, as well as bespoke samples for diffraction screening and data collection at conventional macromolecular crystallography beamlines. They can be used for convenient post-crystallization treatments such as ligand and heavy-atom soaking. The design, assembly and application of the holders for in situ serial crystallography are described. Files for making the holders using a 3D printer are included as supporting information.

A rational way to find the appropriate conditions to grow crystal samples for bio-crystallography is to determine the crystallization phase diagram, which allows precise control of the parameters affecting the crystal growth process. First, the nucleation is induced at supersaturated conditions close to the solubility boundary between the nucleation and metastable regions. Then, crystal growth is further achieved in the metastable zone – which is the optimal location for slow and ordered crystal expansion – by modulation of specific physical parameters. Recently, a prototype of an integrated apparatus for the rational optimization of crystal growth by mapping and manipulating temperature–precipitant–concentration phase diagrams has been constructed. Here, it is demonstrated that a thorough knowledge of the phase diagram is vital in any crystallization experiment. The relevance of the selection of the starting position and the kinetic pathway undertaken in controlling most of the final properties of the synthesized crystals is shown. The rational crystallization optimization strategies developed and presented here allow tailoring of crystal size and diffraction quality, significantly reducing the time, effort and amount of expensive protein material required for structure determination.

Total scattering measurements enable understanding of the structural disorder in crystalline materials by Fourier transformation of the total structure factor, S(Q), where Q is the magnitude of the scattering vector. In this work, the direct calculation of total scattering from a crystalline structural model is proposed. To calculate the total scattering intensity, a suitable Q-broadening function for the diffraction profile is needed because the intensity and the width depend on the optical parameters of the diffraction apparatus, such as the X-ray energy resolution and divergence, and the intrinsic parameters. X-ray total scattering measurements for CeO2 powder were performed at beamline BL04B2 of the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility in Japan for comparison with the calculated S(Q) under various optical conditions. The evaluated Q-broadening function was comparable to the full width at half-maximum of the Bragg peaks in the experimental total scattering pattern. The proposed calculation method correctly accounts for parameters with Q dependence such as the atomic form factor and resolution function, enables estimation of the total scattering factor, and facilitates determination of the reduced pair distribution function for both crystalline and amorphous materials.