BER Structural Biology and Imaging Resources
Synchrotron, Neutron, and Cryo-EM
U.S. Department of Energy | Biological and Environmental Research Program

Molecular Structure

The following are imaging and characterization techniques that can be used to study molecular structure.

Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Tomography

Electrons enable sample imaging from nucleic acids to large biological assemblies frozen in their native states, at nanometer to atomic scales.

Resources offering this technique
Additional enabling capabilities

Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography

Provides information about the location of critical hydrogen atoms in protein crystals at atomic resolution. This enables studies of hydrogen bonding networks and protonation states of catalytic residues.

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Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

Uses differential neutron scattering of hydrogen and deuterium to study complex ensemble structures of biological materials.

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Solution X-Ray Scattering (SAXS)

Characterizes macromolecular structure and behavior in solution, serving as an ideal assessment tool in iterative macromolecular engineering.

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X-Ray Footprinting

Identifies solvent-accessible regions of proteins and nucleic acids, indicating macromolecular binding surfaces or areas of conformational movement.

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X-Ray Macromolecular Crystallography

Uses X-rays to determine the atomic-level structures of biological molecules across a broad range of sample sizes and complexities.

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