Batch Crystallization
Batch Crystallization - Related Videos
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Bioreactors are used to grow organisms in large volumes, thereby enabling the production of mass quantities of the target product. These reactors can be batch reactors, which contain all of the components needed for cell growth, or continuous reactors, which have inlet and outlet ports allowing for the addition of fresh growth media and the removal of cell waste. This video presents batch and continuous reactors and demonstrates the use of bioreactors to grow bacteria in the laboratory.
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The 3-D structure of a molecule provides a unique understanding of how the molecule functions. The principal method for structure determination at near-atomic resolution is X-ray crystallography. Here, we demonstrate the current methods for obtaining three-dimensional crystals of any given macromolecule that are suitable for structure determination by X-ray crystallography.
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High-Throughput Screening to Obtain Crystal Hits for Protein Crystallography
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Protein Crystallization
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Protein crystallization, obtaining a solid lattice of biomolecules, elucidates protein structure and enables the study of protein function. Crystallization involves drying purified protein under a combination of many factors, including pH, temperature, ionic strength, and protein concentration. Once crystals are obtained, the protein structure can be elucidated by x-ray diffraction and computation of an electron density model. This video introduces protein crystallization and shows a general...
FAQs
Supersaturation provides the driving force for nucleation, the initial formation of crystal particles, and subsequent crystal growth. Its development must be controlled because the rate at which concentration rises influences how many crystals form and how large they become. Cooling, solvent evaporation, or antisolvent addition can create this condition during the batch operation.
As target molecules form crystals, many impurities remain in the surrounding liquid phase rather than entering the solid. This separation supports purification, but the final result depends on operating conditions that also affect crystal formation. Researchers therefore consider purity and yield together, since conditions producing more recovered material may not produce crystals with the same purity.
Temperature, concentration, mixing, and the rate at which supersaturation develops are central variables. Temperature changes can promote crystal formation through cooling, while concentration changes can result from evaporation or antisolvent addition. Mixing affects conditions throughout the solution, and the supersaturation rate influences crystal size, purity, and yield. These variables must be controlled together.
The three approaches create supersaturation through different changes to the solution. Cooling lowers temperature, solvent evaporation increases the concentration of dissolved molecules, and antisolvent addition changes the solvent environment so crystallization can occur. Comparing these routes helps researchers select a controllable way to initiate crystal formation for a particular biological compound or purification goal.
A batch operation begins with a finite quantity of solution containing the dissolved material. The process then establishes supersaturation by cooling, solvent evaporation, or antisolvent addition while controlling temperature, concentration, mixing, and the rate of change. Crystals nucleate and grow, after which the solid crystals are recovered from the remaining liquid.
This method is useful when a biological process requires isolation and purification of compounds that can form crystals from solution. Supported examples include amino acids, antibiotics, and pharmaceutical ingredients. Its finite-batch format also allows researchers to study crystal formation under controlled conditions, linking process variables with the properties of the recovered material.
Researchers can assess the recovered crystals by considering crystal size, purity, and yield. These outcomes indicate how effectively the operation formed a usable solid and separated it from substances retained in the liquid phase. Controlled studies can also examine how changes in mixing, temperature, concentration, or supersaturation development alter crystal formation and recovery.