US 11,110,371 B2 · Protein crystallization method and crystallization device

Abstract

Provided are: an economically superior protein crystallization method capable of efficiently finding conditions for crystallization by using a small amount of protein; and a crystallization device used for the method. According to the present invention, a transparent sealed container 1 is filled with a solution of protein, a part of the transparent sealed container 1 being formed of a semipermeable membrane 2 with a molecular weight cut-off that inhibits passage of the protein while allowing passage of a precipitant, and then, a precipitant solution with changed concentration and/or pH of the precipitant is continuously supplied to the semipermeable membrane 2, to crystallize the protein with the precipitant that infiltrates from the semipermeable membrane 2 into the sealed container 1.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A protein crystallization method comprising:

filling a transparent sealed container with a solution of protein, a part of the transparent sealed container being formed of a semipermeable membrane with a molecular weight cut-off that inhibits passage of the protein while allowing passage of a precipitant;
and
continuously supplying a precipitant solution to the semipermeable membrane while changing concentration and/or pH of the precipitant in the precipitant solution, and circulating the precipitant solution at the same time, to change the concentration and/or pH of the precipitant infiltrating from the semipermeable membrane into the sealed container, and to crystallize the protein with the precipitant that infiltrates from the semipermeable membrane into the sealed container.

A protein crystallization device comprising:

a transparent sealed container filled with a solution containing protein;
a semipermeable membrane that forms a part of the sealed container and inhibits passage of the protein while allowing passage of a precipitant;
and
precipitant supply means that circulates and supplies a precipitant solution containing the precipitant to the semipermeable membrane,
wherein the precipitant supply means includes
a reservoir that stores the precipitant solution,
a circulation line that supplies the precipitant solution in the reservoir to the semipermeable membrane and returns the precipitant solution to the reservoir again,
a pump that is disposed on the circulation line and continuously supplies the precipitant solution to the semipermeable membrane, and
concentration adjustment means that changes the precipitant concentration in the precipitant solution.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Protein crystallization method and crystallization device

Life of this patent

Protein crystallization method and crystallization device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8