Information & Contact
As one of the FSU-wide Core Facilities, the macromolecular x-ray crystallography facility (XRF) at the Kasha Laboratory Building (KLB) in the Institute of Molecular Biophysics (IMB) provides training, expertise, and assistance for crystallizing and determining the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules. It is available to all the members of Florida State University community. XRF is located on the East side of the fourth floor of KLB. To learn more, contact XRF Director Dr. Thayumanasamy Somasundaram.
Instruments & Accessories
XRF has instruments and accessories that are essential for growing, optimizing, and storing biological macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. It has Art Robbins Instruments Crystal Gryphon crystallization robot, Formulatrix Rock Imager 1 and Formulator 16, Rumed Crystal Incubator, Leica S8 APO stereo zoom microscope crystallization chambers maintained at variety of temperatures. Data processing and analyzing software are licensed and are available for use at the Facility.
Recognizing the Core Facility and the Director
IMB Core Research Facilities are an integral part of research conducted in the Institute and the resulting publications. However, because the Facility personnel are not part of the individual lab groups, and much of their work is either behind the scenes or early in a given project, it is easy to forget to give proper attribution for their contribution to the research. An acknowledgement is appropriate when a Facility and/or its Director is used for routine data collection, sample preparation, general advice, etc. When the Facility Director is involved at the level of method development, data analysis and interpretation, or other significant contribution to the project, (s)he should be included as a coauthor of the publication. Use X-Ray Facility’s RRID: SCR_017922 in your publications.
Synchrotron Beam Access
The Facility Director coordinates remote synchrotron x-ray diffraction data collection work using FSU’s membership in NSLS-II Beamline AMX-17-ID-1 and FMX-17-ID-2. X-Ray Facility assists users in scheduling, coordinating synchrotron data collection, long-term sample storage, and sample shipping at National Synchrotron Light Source II using FSU Structural Biology Group’s Block Allocation Group. Users typically collect data remotely using Beamline 17-ID-1 (AMX) or Beamline 17-ID-2 (FMX).
XRF Fee
XRF charges a user-fee to defray part of the cost of running and maintaining the Facility instruments. Every lab planning to use the XRF should obtain a purchase order under the FSU’s internal auxiliary account system. Before using the user should provide the Facility Director the purchase order number.
Crystal Screening service fee
- ARI Crystal Gryphon 96-well plate set-up: $19.31/plate [all supplies provided by the user.
- Formulatrix Formulator 16: Screen set-up
- Formulatrix Rock Imager: $2.63/usage
Synchrotron-source shipping fee
- Two-day Mail-in shipping fee (one-way): $34/one-way
- Two-day Mail-in shipping fee (two-way): $71/two-way
XRF Boot Camp
Every August before the start of the Fall semester, XRF runs a Boot Camp called Protein Crystallization and X-Ray Diffraction (PCXRD) for new the graduate students. The three-week Boot Camp is part of the Core Facilities Workshops. The 2024 Boot Camp will be held in August 2024.