Protein Crystallography or Macromolecular Crystallography (MX) started as a new discipline of science with the pioneering work on the determination of the protein crystal structures by John Kendrew in 1958 and Max Perutz in 1960. The incredible achievements in MX are attributed to the development of advanced tools, methodologies, and automation in every aspect of the structure determination process, which have reduced the time required for solving protein structures from years to a few days, as evident from the tens of thousands of crystal structures of macromolecules available in PDB. The advent of brilliant synchrotron sources, fast detectors, and novel sample delivery methods has shifted the paradigm from static structures to understanding the dynamic picture of macromolecules; further propelled by X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) that explore the femtosecond regime. The revival of the Laue diffraction has also enabled the understanding of macromolecules through time-resolved crystallography. In this review, we present some of the astonishing method-related and technological advancements that have contributed to the progress of MX. Even with the rapid evolution of several methods for structure determination, the developments in MX will keep this technique relevant and it will continue to play a pivotal role in gaining unprecedented atomic-level details as well as revealing the dynamics of biological macromolecules. With many exciting developments awaiting in the upcoming years, MX has the potential to contribute significantly to the growth of modern biology by unraveling the mechanisms of complex biological processes as well as impacting the area of drug designing.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
May 2021
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
In-cell and in vitro study of protein folding has been significantly advanced by using biophysical approaches including FRET, NMR, CEST-MRI and optical tweezers. Read more about this in the review by Zhang et al. (pp. 29–38) of the special biophysics issue, ‘Emerging trends in biophysics and their applications in modern biology’, guest edited by Kakoli Bose (ACTREC, India).
Review Article|
May 10 2021
Advancements in macromolecular crystallography: from past to present Available to Purchase
Ishan Rathore;
Ishan Rathore
*
Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
Search for other works by this author on:
Vandana Mishra;
Vandana Mishra
*
Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
Search for other works by this author on:
Prasenjit Bhaumik
Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
Correspondence: Prasenjit Bhaumik ([email protected])
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
February 13 2021
Revision Received:
April 09 2021
Accepted:
April 15 2021
Online ISSN: 2397-8562
Print ISSN: 2397-8554
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society and the Royal Society of Biology
2021
Emerg Top Life Sci (2021) 5 (1): 127–149.
Article history
Received:
February 13 2021
Revision Received:
April 09 2021
Accepted:
April 15 2021
Citation
Ishan Rathore, Vandana Mishra, Prasenjit Bhaumik; Advancements in macromolecular crystallography: from past to present. Emerg Top Life Sci 14 May 2021; 5 (1): 127–149. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20200316
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.