ZOO ZOO : an automatic data‐collection system for high‐throughput structure analysis in protein microcrystallography

摘要

Owing to the development of brilliant microfocus beamlines, rapid‐readout detectors and sample changers, protein microcrystallography is rapidly becoming a popular technique for accessing structural information from complex biological samples. However, the method is time‐consuming and labor‐intensive and requires technical expertise to obtain high‐resolution protein crystal structures. At SPring‐8, an automated data‐collection system named ZOO has been developed. This system enables faster data collection, facilitates advanced data‐collection and data‐processing techniques, and permits the collection of higher quality data. In this paper, the key features of the functionality put in place on the SPring‐8 microbeam beamline BL32XU are described and the major advantages of this system are outlined. The ZOO system will be a major driving force in the evolution of the macromolecular crystallography beamlines at SPring‐8.