Optical-Based Method for Characterizing Protein Crystals

A method of characterization of growing of protein crystals involves the utilization of an optical imaging technique known as spatial phase imaging. The methods used heretofore have been, variously, invasive (e.g., adding a dye that is absorbed by the protein of interest), destructive (e.g., crushing protein/salt-crystal mixtures and observing differences between the crushing of salt and protein), or time-consuming (x-ray crystallography). In contrast, the present method is noninvasive, nondestructive, and rapid.