The Structural Biology Laboratory was inaugurated on the 25th November 2002 during the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology(CCMB) with funds provided by CSIR. The laboratory consists of a state-of-the-art X-ray crystallography setup for macromolecular structure determination, SGI Fuel workstations for molecular modeling and equipments for cloning, expression and purification of macromolecules. The major components of the X-ray setup are powerful micro-focus rotating anode generators: (i) MicroMax™ 007 HF (Rigaku) Cu anode generator with Mar345-dtb image plate detector and (ii) FR-E+ SuperBright (Rigaku) dual wavelength Cu/Cr anode generators with R-axis IV++ image plate detector. FR-E+ system is the most intense home lab source available today for macromolecular crystallography, with focusing optics that can deliver a flux comparable to second generation synchrotron beamlines. It is equipped with VariMax HF Optics, cryocooler (Oxford cryosystems 700 series) and a chiller for the X-ray machine (Haskris co.). An Oxford cryosystems instrument (700 series) is being used to flash freeze crystals at 100K. Data collected from diffraction source is processed using crystallographic computational software. Network-attached storage(NAS-server) with Silicon Graphics (SGI Fuel) workstation, Intel Quad-Core Windows and Linux-based Systems for molecular modeling is available. 

Facility also has an in-house Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) System (S3-MICRO Point-Focus system, Hecus X-ray systems, GmbH) for deciphering physical and structural features of macromolecules in solution. SAXS allows to probe size, shape, quarternary structure and complex formation of molecules without crystallization. It helps in understanding (i) structural parameters [radius of gyration (Rg), maximum Dimension (Dmax), partial-specific volume (Vp) etc], (ii) dynamics of molecules and (iii) generation of low-resolution shapes of macromolecules. 

The laboratory also has a state-of-the-art High-Throughput (HT) facility which provides automation of the complete crystallization set-up. Three major components operational are: (i) Alchemist for liquid handling, (ii) Crystallization robotic systems: Mosquito, Oryx 4 and Hydra II-eDrop for crystallization drop setting and (iii) Minstrel III along with two incubators (4ºand 20º C) for storage of plates and imaging using software called Crystal Trak. It is supported by ‘on plate’ DLS and UV imaging of crystals. Several structural biology projects that are carried out at CCMB and other research institutes and universities outside CCMB are handled in this facility.