Growing lysozyme crystals under various physicochemical conditions: Computer modelling

Jan Czochralski, the pioneer of crystal research

“…ese figures also illustrate possible differences in output morphologies, depending on the material-involving competitive nuclei. is results ultimately in crystalline polymorphic forms [6]. Which of the present-time developments are, in my personal opinion, the most important ones when seen in the context of Czochralski's well-known [1][2][3][4][5] accomplishments?…”

“…Which of the present-time developments are, in my personal opinion, the most important ones when seen in the context of Czochralski's well-known [1][2][3][4][5] accomplishments? It seems to me that there are at least two: (i) e solid-liquid complex crystal-interface dynamics, in general characteristic of (non)linear morphological instabilities and primarily resulting from concerted actions of mass-and thermal diffusion fields [6]; (ii) Not only was Jan Czochralski the first to propose a method of pulling metallic single crystals from a melt, and to successfully quantify their growth rates, he passionately devoted his entire productive life to crystal research, material science and chemistry, to name only a few areas of his expertise [1].…”

“…Why? First, in order to verify his expectation that biomolecules, such as lysozymes [6][7], would form single non-Kossel crystals of many polymorphic forms [6]. Second, to show that there exists a certain, though limited, structural order in their morphologies [5].…”

“…Second, to show that there exists a certain, though limited, structural order in their morphologies [5]. ird, to prove that the principal model of dislocationdriven BCF growth [5][6][7] is useful for performing at least computer simulations designed for so-matter crystal formation (see [6][7], and references therein). Next, that the cumbersome problem of crystal-interface involvement can be treated as being separated into working schemes of practical interest, especially the ones concerning the so-called crystal-growth layer [9] or active interfacial zone [5].…”

“…Especially those proposals will deserve special attention which follow the intermingled thermal and electrostatic, as well as hydrophobic pathways of the involved spatio-temporal competing fields that are located within the interface [9]. Protein databases, such as the PDB [6], will immensely support this way for crystallizing new protein and colloid species. It should be concluded that future progress in this field would be impossible without including both Czochralski and his CZ method [1,3,5] in our worldwide technicalknowledge accumulating database [1,5,9].…”