The Stanford Automated Mounter: pushing the limits of sample exchange at the SSRL macromolecular crystallography beamlines. Issue 2 (24th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Russi, Silvia; Song, Jinhu; McPhillips, Scott E.; Cohen, Aina E.
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied crystallography. Volume 49:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 622
• Page End: 626
• Publication Date: 2016-02-24
• Subjects: automated crystal mounting -- high‐throughput sample exchange -- sample exchange robot -- synchrotron robotics -- protein crystallography -- remote access -- cryo‐crystallography; Crystallography -- Periodicals; 548.05
• DOI: 10.1107/S1600576716000649
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8898

Abstract

Abstract : The Structural Molecular Biology group at SSRL has upgraded its crystal mounting robot (SAM) to enable a sample pin exchange time of approximately 25 s during automated screening of samples. Abstract : The Stanford Automated Mounter System, a system for mounting and dismounting cryo‐cooled crystals, has been upgraded to increase the throughput of samples on the macromolecular crystallography beamlines at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource. This upgrade speeds up robot maneuvers, reduces the heating/drying cycles, pre‐fetches samples and adds an air‐knife to remove frost from the gripper arms. Sample pin exchange during automated crystal quality screening now takes about 25 s, five times faster than before this upgrade.