This review describes the utilisation of synchrotron x-radiation ( SR) in protein crystallography. For the general reader a brief discussion is given of the basics of protein structure analysis including an outline of the problems of sample radiation damage, the inherent weakness of individual reflections and the large amounts of data that need to be collected as well as the 'phase problem' of crystallography. The properties of synchrotron radiation emitted by relativistic electrons in simple circular orbits in bending magnets and by more sophisticated electron motions induced in wiggler or undulator magnets are discussed. The impact of newer high brightness synchrotron radiation sources in protein crystallography is assessed. The instrumentation required to monochromatise and focus the radiation onto typically small protein crystal samples and to detect the diffraction pattern is described. Both step scanning and energy dispersive techniques to optimise anomalous dispersion are covered. A gazetteer is given of the instruments providing data collection facilities for protein crystallography which are available on SR sources around the world. The modifications that are needed to standard data processing techniques are dealt with, taking account, for instance, of the position, angle and wavelength correlateable properties of photons incident to a sample from an SR source; properties which affect reflection prediction in both camera or diffractometer work.Applications of the high intensity and collimation are surveyed with specific examples given of data collection at high resolution, from large unit cells and small crystals as well as time-resolved crystallography. The use of the source tunability to optimise anomalous dispersion effects for metal-atom location and the phasing of individual reflections is discussed. Some case studies are given. The use of SR is speeding up the rate at which protein structures are being determined as well as their accuracy and will allow a more complete molecular anatomy of biological systems to be established.