ID29S - Cryobench Laboratory
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Overview
Laboratory
The Cryobench laboratory (a.k.a. beamline ID29S, since it is located right next to the X-ray beamline ID29) is dedicated to spectroscopy on macromolecular crystals. The central device of the lab is a microspectrophotometer that allows to measure UV/vis absorption, fluorescence, or Raman spectra of protein crystals (or nanoliters of solutions). The lab is being run in the context of a close collaboration between the ESRF and the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), and is one of the platforms of the Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB).
Publications
Click here for a list of Cryobench-related publications. Reference papers to be cited in your publications about Cryobench experiments are given here, as well as the Local Contact policy at the Cryobench.
Spectroscopic Methods
The Cryobench laboratory offers...
- UV/vis absorption spectroscopy,
- fluorescence (emission) spectroscopy,
- fluorescence lifetime measurements,
- Raman spectroscopy,
...of protein crystals mounted on a goniometer between three objectives, usually cooled by a cryogenic stream.
Additionally, it is possible to perform spectroscopic experiments directly at X-ray beamlines:
- online UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopy (available twice per year),
- online Raman spectroscopy at beamline ID29 (available upon request).
For typical experiments in this lab, standard protocols have been defined (intranet only). Suggestions for solving some frequent problems which you may encounter during your experiment can be found here.
Make sure that you know the safety regulations before coming to the Cryobench lab!
Equipment
Equipment which is available for such experiments includes:
- several computers,
- various lasers for fluorescence excitation or actinic purposes,
- humidity control device,
- different filters,
- TTL pulse generator for controlling lasers and spectrometers,
- some additional equipment which is not actively maintained at the moment.
For most pieces of equipment, manuals or datasheets are available (intranet only).
Contacts
Click here for contact information.
Beamtime applications
Click here to find out how to apply for experiments at the Cryobench lab.