The Facility has a stock of 21 commercial crystallisation screens ready for use with the Mosquito liquid handling robot.  In addition, we can create custom screens to optimise initial hits using the Dragonfly liquid handling robot.

Maybe screens overlap in chemical space so it is not necessary to try all 21, although sometimes that may be necessary with difficult projects. A good place to start would be to set up the following screens to cover the most chemical space with the lease protein.

JCSG+ (ICL8) | Pact Premier (ICL7) | SaltRX 1 & 2 (ICL5) | Morpheus (ICL13) | Structure Screen 1 & 2 (ICL0) | Wizard Cryo (ICL15)

For  crystallisation of membrane proteins we have several membrane protein specific crystallisation screens available. 

If there is a screen you are looking to use but is not currently available from the facility please contact the facility manager who can purchase it or help you dispense your solution into plates. Custom screens can also be purchased from Molecular Dimensions and dispensed in the facility. 

A list of all screen compositions can be found in the binder next to the Mosquito. 

Overlap among screens

There's a high degree of redundancy among the screens available in the facility.  Some screens were designed based on the same principles and crystallization data, while others are explicitly based on earlier screens.

• ICL7 – PACT builds upon PEG/ion (ICL3a, ICL10b), comprising a 24-solution PEG/pH screen covering the range 4 to 9, a 24-solution cation/PEG screen and a 48-solution anion/PEG screen.
• ICL8 – The JCSG+ screen takes the 66 best solutions identified by the Joint Center for Structural Genomics and adds 30 conditions from Index (ICL4) to maximize chemical and pH diversity.

Charging structure

We operate on a cost recovery basis (charges for Imperial users).  The prices charged for the plates include the use of the Mosquito. Detergent, Additive screens and preparation of a four-corners optimization screens cost extra. We are happy to provide plates to external users.  Please contact the facility manager for details.