Question: How do crystals appear when they are under the X-ray?

Alice Loasby answered on 6 Nov 2018:

Good question! When we expose protein crystals to x-rays, they are usually in either a plastic plate or we loop them into tiny loops. In the loop they are usually in what we call ‘mother liquor’ which is the condition that the crystal grew in. I’m not sure how to put photos on here, but if you google ‘protein crystal in loop’ you will be able to see some examples. Protein crystals are quite fragile, and x-rays cause quite a lot of damage! When you look at a protein crystal that has been exposed to x-rays you can usually see a dark brown patch, or even cracking!