Seeding Techniques

Abstract A seed provides a template for the assembly of molecules to form a crystal with the same characteristics as the crystal from which the seed originated. Seeding has often been used as a method of last resort rather than a standard practice. It has been used in situations when, after the first crystallization event. further attempts at crystallizing the same or subsequent batches of the same protein, under apparently identical crystalization conditions, either failed to yield any crystals at all, or provided crystalline precipitates or very small crystals. The use of seeding in crystallization can simplify the task of the crystallographer even when crystals can be obtained by other means. We will explore the various seeding techniques, and their applications in the growth of large single crystals.