Cracking of protein crystals
has been problematic from the very beginning, when crystals of
deoxyhemoglobin were observed to crack upon oxygenation - a result of
quaternary changes with oxygen binding. A common task for
crystallographers involves soaking crystals into solutions of
cryoprotective agents or ligands of interest. This change in osmotic
conditions also often results in crystal cracking. We have been looking
at the relationship between Crystal Pore Architecture and osmotic
induced crystal cracking.