Characterization of proteins by powder diffraction.

Abstract

A simulation of a protein powder diffraction pattern was stunning in the apparent amount of information that was seen. A subsequent experiment on metmyoglobin gave a powder diffraction pattern that showed very little sample broadening; the peak widths were essentially limited by the instrument resolution. The challenge is to make use of this in protein structure analysis. This talk will recall some of those early experiments and data analyses as well as an overview of current progress and future possibilities.