McPherson A, Malkin A J, Kuznetsov Y G, Plomp M
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA.
Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2001 Aug;57(Pt 8):1053-60. doi: 10.1107/s0907444901008824. Epub 2001 Jul 23.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be applied both in situ and ex situ to study the growth of crystals from solution. The method is particularly useful for investigating the crystallization of proteins, nucleic acids and viruses because it can be carried out in the mother liquor and in a non-perturbing fashion. Interactions and transformations between various growth mechanisms can be directly visualized as a function of supersaturation, as can the incorporation of diverse impurities and the formation and propagation of defects. Because the crystals can be observed over long periods, it is also possible to obtain precise quantitative measures of the kinetic parameters for nucleation and growth. Finally, AFM has allowed us to identify a number of previously unsuspected phenomena that influence nucleation, rate of growth and the ultimate perfection of macromolecular crystals. These are all features which are important in determining the ultimate resolution and quality of a crystal's diffraction pattern.
原子力显微镜（AFM）可在原位和非原位条件下用于研究溶液中晶体的生长。该方法对于研究蛋白质、核酸和病毒的结晶特别有用，因为它可以在母液中以非干扰的方式进行。各种生长机制之间的相互作用和转变可以直接可视化为过饱和度的函数，不同杂质的掺入以及缺陷的形成和传播也可以如此。由于可以长时间观察晶体，因此也能够获得成核和生长动力学参数的精确定量测量值。最后，AFM使我们能够识别一些以前未被怀疑的影响成核、生长速率和大分子晶体最终完美度的现象。这些都是决定晶体衍射图样最终分辨率和质量的重要特征。
