Development of SBC 19-BM Crystal Mounting Robot at the Advanced Photon Source

Deming Shu a, Andrzej Joachimiak b, Curt Preissner a, Daniel Nocher a, Yufeng Han a, Peter Lee a, Wah-Keat Lee a, Zhonghou Cai a, Stephan Ginell b, Randy Alkire b, K. Lazarski b and R. Schuessler b

a X-ray Operations and Research, XFD, Advanced Photon Source
b SBC, Biosciences Division
Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, Illinois 60439, U.S.A.

We are continuing to develop the robotic sample-changer system for the Argonne Structural Biology Center (SBC) beamlines 19-BM and 19-ID with improved cryosample temperature control and system integration. Unique to the SBC 19-BM system is the ability to mount and retrieve samples from a kappa configuration goniostat [1,2,3,4]. The option of loading samples by hand using cryotongs or liquid sample vials is always available to users by putting the robot in the park position. Key features of the automation system include: a direction sensitive, force-detecting handset; crystal thermal protection; easy-to-load, open-top storage dewar; the use of commercial sample magazines; and efficient beamline hardware/software integration. Recent tests confirm a storage dewar lifetime of over 24 hours and the ability to mount and dismount a sample up to 7 times without degradation in crystal quality.

References
1. A. Joachimiak P.I. The "Midwest Center for Structural Genomics" - proposal submitted to NIH in response to RFA No. GM-99-009
2. D. Shu, J. Barraza, W-K. Lee, P. Lee, and Z. Cai, Preliminary Test of an Automated Precision Crystal Sample Mounting Mechanism, International Workshop on Bio-sample Mounting Automation, May 2000, SSRL, Stanford
3. A. Joachimiak, High-throughput Structure Determination using Synchrotron Radiation, ACA Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, May 26, 2002
4. D. Shu, A. Joachimiak, C. Preissner, D. Nocher, Y. Han, J. Barraza, P. Lee, W-K. Lee, Z. Cai, S. Ginell, R. Alkire, and R. Schuessler, Patent application in progress for Argonne National Laboratory, Aug. 28, 2002

*This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, under Contract No. W-31-109-Eng-38