In vivo Macromolecular Crystallography

The identification of protein crystals naturally occurring inside cells and organisms has opened a window for a new type of macromolecular crystallography (MX) and structural biology, referred to as in vivo MX. In the past decade, efforts were provided in getting deeper insights into the yet uncontrollable events dictating in vivo crystal growth, by further developing sample handling and delivery procedures and applying these techniques to the structure determination and analysis of readily available ivMX systems. To facilitate the use of ivMX by the larger community, milestones for the implementation of a complete pipeline has been set at Synchrotron SOLEIL (France). In the current presentation, I will be introducing the hows and whys of ivMX, the basics behind the platform and the promising results obtained when applied to the studies of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen responsible of the CoViD-19