X-ray crystallography is a widely used technique for determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystalline substance. The technique involves directing X-ray beams at a crystal and analyzing the pattern of X-rays that are diffracted by the crystal lattice. Here's a basic overview of the process: 1. **Crystal Formation**: The first step in X-ray crystallography is the growth of high-quality crystals of the substance being studied. These crystals must be of sufficient size and purity to provide clear diffraction patterns.
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One of its main applications is to determine the 3D structure of proteins.
Sometimes you are not able to crystallize the proteins however, and the method cannot be used.
Crystallizing is not simple because:
Cryogenic electron microscopy can sometimes determine the structures of proteins that failed crystallization.