Neutron Laue diffraction in macromolecular crystallography

The time scales required for conventional neutron diffraction analysis of biological single crystals at, or near, atomic resolution are prohibitive - such studies are rarely performed. Laue (white beam) diffraction can provide a more rapid and efficient survey of reciprocal space, maximising the flux at the sample and stimulating large numbers of reflections simultaneously. A LAue DIffractometer (LADI), designed specifically for macromolecular crystallography, has been installed on a cold neutron guide at ILL. The detector comprises a large Gd2O3-doped neutron-sensitive image plate (400 x 800 mm) mounted on a cylindrical camera (318 mm diameter) that is read in phonographic mode after exposure. Detector response has been evaluated and performance indicators are given. Narrow (Quasi-Laue) band-passes (d lambda/lambda = 8-20%) are often required for large unit-cell biological crystals in order to reduce reflection overlap and incoherent background. Laue and Quasi-Laue data have now been collected for a number of proteins and other biological crystals. Recent results are presented and future prospects reviewed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.