Method and apparatus for crystallization of proteins and the like

摘要

In the method of the invention for crystallization of proteins and the like, test substances prepared by mixing a sample of a protein and the like and reagents which promote the crystallization of the sample are put into test-substance wells of containers, such as microplates, and transferred to an analysis process, such as an X-ray crystal structural analysis, to perform an information analysis of the sample. This method includes the steps of: setting a plurality of standard images of progress stages of the test substances, such as crystal formation, as images in uncompleted crystallization regions and images in crystallization regions permitting an analysis; comparing data on the plurality of standard images with fetched image data during the progress of crystallization of the test substances thereby to make a judgment; selecting only test substances having fetched image data in perfect or close agreement with the images in crystallization regions permitting an analysis; and transferring a container containing the test substances to the analysis process. In the above-described method, a mark to indicate the selection is automatically put to the container containing the test substances which are selected by comparing data on the plurality of standard images with the fetched image data to make a judgment. The method of the invention includes a crystallization robot, which prepares test substances by mixing a sample of a protein and the like and reagents which promote the crystallization of the sample in test-substance wells of containers such as microplates; a stocker housing portion, which includes a plurality of shelves which temporarily store the containers containing the test substances in such a manner as to permit the mounting and dismounting thereof; an image processor, which performs image processing of the test samples in the containers stored in the stocker housing portion thereby to grasp the condition of crystallization; a stocker robot, which performs the mounting and dismounting of the containers in the stocker housing portion; and a stage robot, which performs the transit of the containers from the stocker robot and the transfer and supply of the containers to the crystallization robot and the image processor.