ScreenMachine™
Designed to complement the way you work.
As synchrotron beamlines have become more prevalent for research in structural biology, many home lab X-ray systems are used mainly for screening crystals in advance of synchrotron data collection. To meet the needs of this type of work flow, Rigaku has developed the ScreenMachine, a self contained unit that is optimized for safe crystal mounting and recovery, optimized for evaluating small crystals, designed for minimal maintenance, and, best of all, collects amazingly high quality data.
Easily and simply screen crystals...
Built around the time tested design of an inverted φ-axis, the ScreenMachine offers the best possible geometry for safe crystal mounting and recovery. Utilizing the most popular processing software in use today, researchers can quickly and efficiently evaluate the diffraction quality of a mounted sample.
- Test new crystallization hits for diffraction
- Ensure that proper cryo-conditions are selected
- Optimize your beamtime schedule by ensuring you have the best samples
Train and teach your students...
One of the most important responsibilities of a research lab in an educational facility is that of proper training. Having a ScreenMachine in a structural biology lab ensures that students and other researchers will have the opportunity to learn proper crystal mounting and handling techniques with the instant feedback that can only come from having an in-house X-ray source. Yet the ScreenMachine is the perfect instrument for such purposes because it has been designed with minimal maintenance and limited access to sensitive instrument components; you can be assured that critical alignment hardware is unavailable to the casual user.
Learning to effectively use crystallographic software is as important as learning to properly mount and handle crystals and collect proper data. In fact the three skills are highly correlated and it is much easier to teach skills in all three areas when an in-house X-ray system is available.
The ScreenMachine is bundled with HKL-3000R, which goes beyond data processing, including instrument control and an environment for structure solution, refinement and database storage, all in one integrated software package.
Produce research grade data...
Of course, to really be an effective home lab X-ray system the ScreenMachine must be capable of producing outstanding data; there are times when everyone wants needs to collect a full data set at home.
The ScreenMachine is configured with a micro-focus sealed tube X-ray source running at 30W. The tube is as easy to change as a standard sealed tube X-ray source and the low running power allows us to offer a 3 year warranty on the tube. The optic has been specifically designed to provide a beam at the crystal position of 90 μm FWHM. This small beam is particularly useful for evaluating the small crystals that often are obtained at the beginning of a crystallization project.
Coupled with the X-ray source is a CCD detector that has been designed to provide good diffraction resolution coverage for both screening and data collection. The ScreenMachine also comes standard with an Oxford Cryostream 700 which is positioned below the crystal at an angle that minimizes icing. The small sample chamber and protective enclosure also acts to minimize icing by minimizing turbulence and humid air.
There are often many good reasons for collecting full data sets on a home lab system, including
- Crystals that are hard to obtain
- Time sensitive projects
- Crystals that do not travel well
- Samples that do not require a synchrotron for appropriate diffraction