Comparative studies of protein crystallization by vapour-diffusion and microbatch techniques

Numerous reports have been published in the literature which describe the crystallization of macromolecules by a variety of crystallization methods, including the vapour-diffusion and microbatch techniques. This topical review compares the results of examples of proteins which were crystallized by both vapour-diffusion and microbatch methods. The inherent features of the vapour-diffusion and microbatch methods are discussed and some specific conditions where one method appears more favourable than the other are reported. Guidelines for the conversion of crystallization conditions from vapour diffusion to microbatch (and vice versa) are also presented.