Transcript Why do scientists grow crystals? - Bryn Mawr School Faculty Web

CRYSTALS
A crystal is…
a solid material,
whose constituent
atoms, molecules,
or ions are
arranged in an
orderly repeating
pattern extending
in … all 3
dimensions
Crystals grow
in nature…
Why do scientists grow
crystals?
There are 2 major reasons:
to purify a substance
and for
x-ray crystallography
Substances grown in crystals are
extremely pure. These are insulin
crystals, grown to purify
the insulin used by diabetics
X-ray crystallography is a method
for determining the arrangement
of atoms within a crystal.
You grow a crystal of the
substance and x-ray it. The
diffraction pattern produced can
be used to determine the 3-D
structure of the molecule.
These crystal
structures have
many scientific
and medical
applications;
one example is
structure-based
drug design
The better the crystal,
the more structural
information you obtain.
Where are the best
crystals grown?
(Hint: it’s not on earth)
In microgravity – like on the
International Space Station!