Serial crystallography for the masses?

There are many important materials which do not form nice single crystals for X-ray diffraction experiments, such as proteins and other biomaterials. When the crystal size is too small then powder diffraction is normally the preferred method of analysis. Until now the minimum size of crystal needed to produce three-dimensional single-crystal data had been dependent on the instrument in operation; now, however, using serial micro crystallography, Ayyer et al. [(2015). IUCrJ, 2, 29-34; doi:10.1107/S2052252514022313] have shown that improvements can still be made from changes to the software and algorithms used.

When a sample diffracts well as a powder but does not grow larger crystals, serial micro crystallography will be the method of choice. This new way to obtain three-dimensional data could bring far more complex structures into reach for powder diffraction.

[Wright, J. P. (2015). IUCrJ, 2, 3-4; doi:10.1107/S2052252514026803]