Protein Crystallography Station | PCS

The Bioscience Division has built a Protein Crystallography Station (PCS) at the Lujan Neutron Scattering Center for the international structural biology community to investigate the structure and dynamics of proteins, biological polymers, and membranes. Emerging efforts in structural genomics, used to solve the three-dimensional structures of thousands of proteins sequenced in genome projects, largely use synchrotron x-rays. However, certain unique types of information relating to structurally and functionally important water molecules and hydrogen atoms can only be obtained using neutrons.

Despite the importance of neutrons, the number of studies are limited by access to neutron sources and appropriate instrumentation. In particular, the neutron flux and detector technologies on presently available instruments have led to prohibitively large sample size requirements. Large crystals of proteins are difficult to grow. The PCS, funded by the Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research, is the only resource of its kind in North America, and the first to be built at a spallation neutron source. A number of technological innovations have been incorporated, including a partially coupled water moderator and a large cylindrical detector that, along with the improved LANSCE neutron source, make data collection from smaller crystals feasible.

These innovations will greatly broaden the application of neutrons to structural biology and make the PCS a benchmark for similar projects worldwide. Approximately 20 experiments are accommodated each year during an 8 month run cycle.