Laboratory Classroom Activities

We have created some undergraduate classroom laboratory activities based on the X-ray diffractometer. 

Biophysics

 Crystallographic analysis of protein structure. This is a three week lab in which students

  1. Grow protein crystals in week1 

  2. Collect diffraction data on these crystals in week 2

  3. Analyze the diffraction data and features of the structures in week 3. Instructions for this 3rd week are written assuming that ccp4i, coot, and the molecular graphics display program QtMG will be available.

These exercises are available here:

Protein Crystallography Lab Part I

Protein Crystallography Lab Part II, requires the excel file: Fourier Analysis

Protein Crystallography Lab Part III

Physics

Powder diffraction analysis of metals. The general focus is to conceptually link the diffraction of visible light from 1-D and 2-D samples to the diffraction of X-rays from 3-D crystalline samples. 

This exercise is available here:  Powder Diffraction of Metals

Notes on powder diffraction:

Carrying out powder diffraction experiments on the single crystal diffractometer is somewhat different from on a typical powder diffraction system.

Notes on this are here: Powder Diffraction Notes 

Development of these materials was made possible by X-ray diffraction instrumentation purchased with funds from the National Science Foundation. 

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