CRYSTAL GROWTH APPARATUS AND CRYSTAL GROWTH METHOD

摘要

An apparatus for promoting crystallization of biopolymer. An apparatus (10) for growing a crystal comprises a solid material (12) brought into contact with a solution (14) containing a biopolymer and electrodes (11a, 11b) for producing an electric field the direction of which is from the solution (14) to the solid material (12) or from the solid material (12) to the solution (14). The solid material (12) has at least first and second regions (12a, 12b) brought into contact with the solution (14) through a dielectric body. The density of charge in the dielectric body over the first region (12a) is different from that over the second region (12b) when a predetermined electric field is produced through the electrodes (11a, 11b). Therefore if more charge is created in either the first or second region (12a, 12b) when a voltage is applied, charged biopolymer in the solution (14) is selectively adsorbed to the region having the higher charge density and crystallized.