X-RAY IMAGING DETECTOR FOR PROTEIN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY

IMPROVEMENTS IN A FIBER OPTICALLY COUPLED CCD CAMERA ARE PROPOSED WHICH WOULD REDUCE EXPOSURE TIMES, EXTEND DYNAMIC RANGE, IMPROVE RESOLUTION, AND FACILITATE AUTOMATION OF X-RAY DIFFRACTION OF PROTEIN CRYSTALS. IN PHASE I, THE SYNCHROTRON X-RAY DIFFRACTION PATTERN OF A KNOWN PROTEIN CRYSTAL WILL BE IMAGED AND CORRECTIONS TO THE OPTICAL DISTORTIONS IN THE FIBER OPTIC BUNDLE WILL BE MADE TO TEST THE CAPABILITIES OF AN AVAILABLE CAMERA SYSTEM. A LARGER APERTURE, INCREASED RESOLUTION, AND FASTER READOUT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO AN IMPROVED FIBER OPTICALLY COUPLED CCD CAMERA PROPOSED FOR PHASE II. CAMERAS SUCH AS THESE WOULD ALSO FIND APPLICATION IN ANY LARGE AREA X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEMS.