Protein molecules, comprising linear chains of amino acids, are crucial to cellular processes in living organisms. Protein crystals, a specific and intricate configuration of these molecules, offer substantial potential for diverse applications, notably in drug design and bioseparation. The process of growing these crystals to investigate their tertiary structures through X-ray diffraction, however, presents an array of technical challenges. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of techniques used to identify and characterize protein crystals.
Petrography is the study and classification of rocks, typically by using microscopy techniques to examine thin slices of material and look at their composition. For the steel industry, coke petrography has become one of the key analysis tools for determining coke quality and, ultimately, whether a coke sample will be suitable for use in the creation of steel alloys.1
The ability to characterize nanoscale materials is essential to many applications and industries around the world. Nanoscale materials are increasingly beneficial to fields such as electronics, medical devices, and scientific research, so combating the current challenges is crucial for their development. In this blog post, we look at what nanoscale material characterization is and the challenges in the field.
Fluid inclusions are small encapsulations in of liquids or gases that are trapped within a crystal. Sometimes the fluids become trapped while the crystal is being formed. Fluid inclusions can also occur later in time when the crystal undergoes fracturing and rehealing, and the small drops are trapped.
In recent years, the need for sustainable energy sources has increased dramatically, thus leading to substantial developments in renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaic (PV) cells. A photovoltaic cell, also called a solar cell, is a single device that converts sunlight into electrical energy through semiconducting components. Larger PV units, called modules or panels, are formed by connecting many individual cells and can be configured in different ways depending on their application and industry setting.
