Canadian macromolecular crystallography facility: a suite of fully automated beamlines

J Struct Funct Genomics. 2012 Jun;13(2):49-55. doi: 10.1007/s10969-012-9123-9. Epub 2012 Jan 21.

Abstract

The Canadian light source is a 2.9 GeV national synchrotron radiation facility located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon. The small-gap in-vacuum undulator illuminated beamline, 08ID-1, together with the bending magnet beamline, 08B1-1, constitute the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility (CMCF). The CMCF provides service to more than 50 Principal Investigators in Canada and the United States. Up to 25% of the beam time is devoted to commercial users and the general user program is guaranteed up to 55% of the useful beam time through a peer-review process. CMCF staff provides "Mail-In" crystallography service to users with the highest scored proposals. Both beamlines are equipped with very robust end-stations including on-axis visualization systems, Rayonix 300 CCD series detectors and Stanford-type robotic sample auto-mounters. MxDC, an in-house developed beamline control system, is integrated with a data processing module, AutoProcess, allowing full automation of data collection and data processing with minimal human intervention. Sample management and remote monitoring of experiments is enabled through interaction with a Laboratory Information Management System developed at the facility.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Canada
  • Crystallography / instrumentation*
  • Crystallography / methods
  • Electronic Data Processing
  • Escherichia coli / chemistry
  • Macromolecular Substances / analysis*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Magnets
  • Molecular Chaperones / chemistry
  • Molecular Chaperones / isolation & purification
  • Peptides, Cyclic / chemistry
  • Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / chemistry
  • Protein Folding
  • Robotics / instrumentation
  • Robotics / methods*
  • Software*
  • Synchrotrons / instrumentation

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor)
  • glycerone kinase