Crystallization methods developed for soluble proteins are often inefficient for membrane proteins with very low solubility. Detergent is often used to increase the amount of dissolved membrane proteins, and in some cases the solubility problem can be resolved by the application of the vapor diffusion method. Lipidic Cubic Phase (LCP) crystallization is one of the most popular methods to determine the structure of membrane proteins. To further increase success rate, Creative Biostructure utilizes a novel solution called Controlled In Meso Phase (CIMP) crystallization, which combines the features of well-established vapor diffusion method and LCP crystallization.
CIMP has the following benefits:
(i) Stabilization of membrane proteins in the meso phase;
(ii) Control of hydration level and additive concentration by vapor diffusion;
(iii) Simplified in meso crystallization experiments and standard liquid handling robots suitable for 96 well formats;
(iv) Direct monitor of phase transformation and crystallization events.