The European Project OPTICRYST (OPTImisation of protein CRYSTal) was set up to develop and implement new techniques for protein crystal optimization. Opticryst worked with European non-profitable Institution to improve protein crystal quality. A group of experts in protein crystal growth helped to apply Advanced Crystallisation Techniques (e.g. Counter-diffusion, oils, separation of nucleation and growth, dynamic light scattering, gel crystallisation) to targets systems.
Optimization of Protein Crystallization: The OptiCryst Projects. Cryst. Growth Des., (2011). 11 (6), 2112–2121. A. Garcia-Caballero, J. A. Gavira, et al. doi: 10.1021/cg1013768
Monitoring and Scoring Counter-Diffusion Protein Crystallization Experiments in Capillaries by in situ Dynamic Light Scattering. PloS ONE, (2012).e33545-(+6). Oberthuer D, Melero-García E, Dierks K, Meyer A, Betzel C, Garcia-Caballero, A.,Gavira J.A. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033545
Hetero- vs homo-geneous nucleation of protein crystals discriminated by supersaturation. Cryst. Growth Des., (2011).11 (5), 1542–1548. G. Tosi, S. Fermani, G. Falini, J. A. Gavira and J. M. García Ruiz. doi: 10.1021/cg101460z
Understanding the polymorphic behaviour of a mutant of the [alpha]-spectrin SH3 domain by means of two 1.1 Å resolution structures. Acta Cryst. (2011). D67, 189-196 A. Camara-Artigas, J. A. Gavira, S. Casares, J. M. Garcia-Ruiz, F. Conejero-Lara, J. P. Allen and J. C. Martinez. doi: 10.1107/S0907444911001715
Structure of dihydropyrimidinase from Sinorhizobium meliloti CECT4114: new features in an amidohydrolase family member. Journal of Structural Biology, (2010). 169, 200-208. Sergio Martínez-Rodríguez, Ana Isabel Martínez Gómez, Josefa María Clemente-Jiménez, Felipe Rodríguez-Vico, Juan Ma. Garcia-Ruiz, Francisco Javier Las Heras-Vázquez and Jose Antonio Gavira. doi:10.1016/j.jsb.2009.10.013
Two-step counterdiffusion protocol for the crystallization of haemoglobin II from Lucina pectinata in the pH range 4-9 Acta. Cryst., (2010). F66, 264-268. C. A. Nieves-Marrero, C. R. Ruiz-Martinez, R. A. Estremera-Andujar, L. A. Gonzalez-Ramirez, J. Lopez-Garriga and J. A. Gavira. doi:10.1107/S1744309109053081
Atomic resolution studies of haloalkane dehalogenases DhaA04, DhaA14 and DhaA15 with engineered access tunnels. Acta Cryst. (2010). D66, 962-969. A. Stsiapanava, J. Dohnalek, J. A. Gavira, M. Kuty, T. Koudelakova, J. Damborsky and I. Kuta Smatanova. doi:10.1107/S0907444910027101
Toward the Crystallization of Photosystem II Core Complex from Pisum sativum L. Cryst. Growth Des., (2010). 10, 3391-3396.T. Prudnikova, J. A. Gavira, P. Rezacova, E. Pineda Molina, I. Hunalova, E. Sviridova, V. Shmidt, J. Kohoutova, M. Kuty, D. Kaftan, F. Vacha, J. M. Garc?a-Ruiz, and I. Kuta Smatanov. doi: 10.1021/cg901593x
Novel conformational aspects of the third PDZ domain of the neuronal post-synaptic density-95 protein revealed from two 1.4 Å X-ray structures. J. Struc. Biol., (2010). 170 (3), 565-569. A. Camara-Artigas, J. Murciano-Calles, J. A. Gavira, E. S. Cobos, J. C. Martinez. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2010.03.005
Precise protein solubility determination by Laser confocal differential interference contrast microscopy. Journal of Crystal Growth, Jun (2009). 311 (13), 3479-3484. Alexander E.S. Van Driessche, Jose A. Gavira, Luis D. Patiño Lopez and Fermin Otalora. doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2009.04.023
Crystallization and diffraction patterns of the oxy and cyano forms of the Lucina pectinata haemoglobins complex. Acta. Cryst., (2009). F65, 25-28. C. R. Ruiz-Martinez, C. A. Nieves-Marrero, R. A. Estremera-Andujar, J. A. Gavira, L. A. Gonzalez-Ramírez, J. Lopez-Garriga and J. M. Garcia-Ruiz. doi:10.1107/S1744309108038542
Counterdiffusion methods applied to protein crystallization. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Dec. (2009). 101, 26-37. Fermin Otalora, Jose A. Gavira, Joseph D. Ng, Juan Ma. Garcia-Ruiz. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2009.12.004