In situ study of nanotemplate-induced growth of lysozyme microcrystals by submicrometer GISAXS.

Ultrasmall lysozyme microcrystals are grown by classical hanging-drop vapor diffusion and by its modification using a homologous protein thin-film template displaying long-range order. The nucleation and growth mechanisms of lysozyme microcrystals are studied at the thin lysozyme film surface using a new in situ µGISAXS (microbeam grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering) technique recently developed at the microfocus beamline of the ESRF in Grenoble, France. New insight on the nucleation and crystallization processes appear to emerge.