Droplet-Based Evaporative System for the Estimation of Protein Crystallization Kinetics
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hong M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8569678 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:This study demonstrates the application of metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated evaporative crystallization (MA-MAEC) technique to rapid crystallization of L-alanine on surface engineered silver nanostructures. In this regard, silver island films (SIFs) were modified with hexamethylenediamine (HMA), 1-undecanethiol (UDET), and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUDA), which introduced -NH(2), -CH(3) and -COOH functional groups to SIFs, respectively. L-Alanine was crystallized on these engineered surfaces and blank SIFs at room temperature and using MA-MAEC technique. Significant improvements in crystal size, shape, and quality were observed on HMA-, MUDA- and UDET-modified SIFs at room temperature (crystallization time = 144, 40 and 147 min, respectively) as compared to those crystals grown on blank SIFs. Using the MA-MAEC technique, the crystallization time of L-alanine on engineered surfaces were reduced to 17 sec for microwave power level 10 (i.e., duty cycle 100%) and 7 min for microwave power level 1 (duty cycle 10%). Raman spectroscopy and powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that L-Alanine crystals grown on engineered surfaces using MA-MAEC technique had identical characteristic peaks of L-alanine crystals grown using traditional evaporative crystallization.
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Project description:The measured induction times in droplet-based microfluidic systems are stochastic and are not described by the deterministic population balances or moment equations commonly used to model the crystallization of amino acids, proteins, and active pharmaceutical ingredients. A stochastic model in the form of a Master equation is formulated for crystal nucleation in droplet-based microfluidic systems for any form of nucleation rate expression under conditions of time-varying supersaturation. An analytical solution is provided to describe the (1) time evolution of the probability of crystal nucleation, (2) the average number of crystals that will form at time t for a large number of droplets, (3) the induction time distribution, and (4) the mean, most likely, and median induction times. These expressions are used to develop methods for determining the nucleation kinetics. Nucleation kinetics are determined from induction times measured for paracetamol and lysozyme at high supersaturation in an evaporation-based high-throughput crystallization platform, which give low prediction errors when the nucleation kinetics were used to predict induction times for other experimental conditions. The proposed stochastic model is relevant to homogeneous and heterogeneous crystal nucleation in a wide range of droplet-based and microfluidic crystallization platforms.
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Project description:We describe the design and the use of a circular poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) crystallization platform capable of processing 21 samples in Metal-Assisted and Microwave-Accelerated Evaporative Crystallization (MA-MAEC). The PMMA platforms were modified with silver nanoparticle films (SNFs) to generate a microwave-induced temperature gradient between the solvent and the SNFs due to the marked differences in their physical properties. Since amino acids only chemisorb on to silver on the PMMA platform, SNFs served as selective and heterogeneous nucleation sites for amino acids. Theoretical simulations for electric field and temperature distributions inside a microwave cavity equipped with a PMMA platform were carried out to determine the optimum experimental conditions, i.e., temperature variations and placement of the PMMA platform inside a microwave cavity. In addition, the actual temperature profiles of the amino acid solutions were monitored for the duration of the crystallization experiments carried out at room temperature and during microwave heating. The crystallization of five amino acids (L-threonine, L-histidine, L-leucine, L-serine and L-valine HCl) at room temperature (control experiment) and using MA-MAEC were followed by optical microscopy. The induction time and crystal growth rates for all amino acids were determined. Using MA-MAEC, for all amino acids the induction times were significantly reduced (up to ~8-fold) and the crystal growth rates were increased (up to ~50-fold) as compared to room temperature crystallization, respectively. All crystals were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and powder x-ray diffraction, which demonstrated that the crystal structures of all amino acids grown at room temperature and using MA-MAEC were similar.
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Project description:The use of indium tin oxide (ITO) and focused monomode microwave heating for the ultra-rapid crystallization of L-alanine (a model amino acid) is reported. Commercially available ITO dots (< 5 mm) attached to blank poly(methyl)methacrylate (PMMA, 5 cm in diameter with 21-well silicon isolators: referred to as the iCrystal plates) were found to withstand prolonged microwave heating during crystallization experiments. Crystallization of L-alanine was performed at room temperature (a control experiment), with the use of two microwave sources: a 2.45 GHz conventional microwave (900 W, power level 1, a control experiment) and 8 GHz (20 W) solid state, monomode microwave source with an applicator tip that focuses the microwave field to a 5-mm cavity. Initial appearance of L-alanine crystals and on iCrystal plates with ITO dots took 47 ± 2.9 min, 12 ± 7.6 min and 1.5 ± 0.5 min at room temperature, using a conventional microwave and focused monomode microwave heating, respectively. Complete evaporation of the solvent using the focused microwaves was achieved in 3.2 ± 0.5 min, which is ~52-fold and ~172-fold faster than that observed at room temperature and using conventional microwave heating, respectively. The size and number of L-alanine crystals was dependent on the type of the 21-well iCrystal plates and the microwave heating method: 33 crystals of 585 ± 137 ?m in size at room temperature > 37 crystals of 542 ± 100 ?m in size with conventional microwave heating > 331 crystals of 311 ± 190 ?m in size with focused monomode microwave. FTIR, optical microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the chemical composition and crystallinity of the L-alanine crystals did not change when exposed to microwave heating and ITO surfaces. In addition, theoretical simulations for the binding of L-alanine molecules to ITO and other metals showed the predicted nature of hydrogen bonds formed between L-alanine and these surfaces.
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