Prediction of protein crystallization based on interfacial and diffusion kinetics

Abstract

The interfacial kinetics of protein crystallization was studied via the kinetics of protein two-dimensional self-assembly. The competition between the protein volume transport and surface integration determines whether single crystals or amorphous aggregation will occur. A kinetic coefficient was found to provide an effective and reliable criterion to predict protein crystallization conditions. This criterion has been applied to lysozyme, concanavalin A and BSA crystallization, and it turned out to be very successful and more reliable than the second virial coefficient criterion. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.