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X-Ray Crystallography and Scattering Facility

Visualizing and characterize biological macromolecules

The X-Ray Crystallography and Scattering Facility provides the necessary infrastructure and support for individual investigators to undertake single crystal X-ray structural studies. Specifically, we provide instrumentation, training, and collaboration for:

  • Protein characterization, including dynamic light scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, SEC-MALS, multi-wavelength AUC, single-molecule biophysics, and circular dichroism
  • Binding studies using isothermal titration calorimetry
  • Robotic crystallization, incubators, UV, and digital microscopes
  • Robotic imaging
  • Diffraction data collection and processing
  • Structure determination and analysis
  • Molecular modeling
  • Small angle X-ray scattering

Our experienced staff is available to train researchers to use equipment and to assist with project development and research.

News

Huck seeks grad students for immersive facility assistantships

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences is seeking applicants for four half-time (20-hour) graduate assistantships within Huck Core Facilities during the fall 2026 semester. Graduate assistants will be placed in a single Huck core facility, chosen by the student, for hands-on experience with that facility’s technologies and applications. The assistants will contribute to projects involving the development, optimization, or application of methods and technologies within the selected facility

Undergrad research featured in American Chemical Society journal

Undergraduate students at Penn State Brandywine developed an environmentally friendly and easy method to synthesize compounds from plant-derived molecules for potential use in therapeutics. Their work, conducted under the supervision of Penn State Brandywine Assistant Professor of Chemistry Anna Sigmon, was published in a special issue of the journal American Chemical Society (ACS) Omega titled “Undergraduate Research as the Stimulus for Scientific Progress in the USA.”

Protein regulator of sugars and fats may work with an unexpected parter — itself

Penn State scientists characterize structure and function of protein implicated in liver disease working with another copy of itself, rather than its usual partner, to turn genes on and off

Modern methods in biological research course to be offered in spring 2026

Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences core facilities are offering a new course for spring 2026, Modern Methods in Biological Research, for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students studying in the life sciences.