Accessing the X-ray Crystallography Facility

To gain independent access to the facility, you must complete the following onboarding steps:

  1. Complete mandatory online safety courses:
    1. Cryogenic Liquids and Decanting Liquid Nitrogen
    2. Compressed Gases and Connecting Gas Regulators
  2. Register on PPMS: Set up an account for the Department of Life Sciences Centre for Structural Biology via the .
  3. Attend a local induction: Complete an in-person facility and safety induction with the Facility Manager.    

Specialist Equipment Training

Once general induction is complete, the facility manager provides hands-on training for unsupervised use of:

  • Biophysical instrumentation: ITC, CD spectroscopy, and SEC-MALS.
  • Liquid-handling robots: Mosquito LCP and Dragonfly liquid handlers.
  • Cryo-tools: Safe handling of liquid nitrogen for crystal harvesting, mounting, and preparation for synchrotron data collection.

Synchrotron Access

For data collection at Diamond Light Source, you must register with the so the facility manager can add you to the ImperiaCollege Block Allocation Group (BAG). Further details and protocols can be found on the Synchrotron page.

Consultancy and Specialist Support

The expertise of the facility manager is available to members of the College and external collaborators across all stages of the structural biology pipeline, including:

  • Crystallisation condition screening and hit optimisation
  • Crystal mounting and cryo-cooling
  • Data collection support, structure solution, and macromolecular refinement

Staff-assisted sessions and expert consultancy are charged at an hourly rate. Please contact Dr. Sofia Caria to discuss potential projects and requirements.

Local rules and risk assessments

critical safety information regarding laboratory risks and active controls within the facility. All downloads are in PDF format:

Useful Links