Photochemical Micromachining of Lysozyme Crystals

Adv. Mater., 11, 1345 (1999).

    

 
Schematic of the concept for crystal micromachining via photochemical denaturation (original color figure).

 
 

     

 
Evidence of the effect of the converging and diverging light beams on the micromachining of lysozyme crystals. The crystal in the micrograph has been treated photochemically and then flipped on one of its sides to show the internal structure. The microscope had been focussed on the top surface of the crystal (to the left in the Figure). The light beam has been converging above the surface and diverging below it. The crystal has a hole where the protein has been denatured photochemically and then dispersed in a diverging beam. On top of the hole, however, there is a black blob of protein deposited by the converging light beam. Thus, while the protein in the diverging light beam has been removed, additional protein has been deposited in the converging beam above the surface. Scale bar = 50 mm.