Sample holder for small-angle x-ray scattering static and flow cell measurements

We present the design of a sample holder for small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) that can be used for both static and flow cell measurements, allowing to switch between these two types of measurement without having to realign the detector and camera geometry. The device makes possible high signal-to-noise experiments with sample volumes as small as 16 mu l and can be thermocontrolled using a standard circulating water bath. The setup has been used successfully for a range of biological SAXS measurements, including peptides, detergent micelles, membrane proteins, and nucleic acids. As a performance test, we present scattering data for horse heart cytochrome c, collected at the BESSRC CAT beam line 12-ID of the Advanced Photon Source. The design drawings are provided in the supplementary material. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.