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A cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) was selected over other thermoplastics for the In-Situ-1, an unusual crystallization microplate by Ithaca, N.Y., a provider of innovative consumables for X-ray diffraction, crystallography, and protein crystallization of academic, pharmaceutical, industrial, and government research.

The Topas COC from , Florence , Ky., was shown to outperform competitive thermoplastics like PET, PS, PE, and PI due to its superior moisture vapor resistance and X-ray transparency (92% clarity), along with excellent UV transparency and low birefringence. The COC’s versatility and advanced processability enables MiTeGen to combine an injection molded COC frame with a thin extruded COC film to generate a two-piece system with the performance benefits of both parts. The 5.04-in. by 3.35-in. rigid frame allows for physical features such as ledges and channels that provide consistent results from one experiment to the next. The 3.94-mil thickness thin film bottom which is ultrasonically welded to the rigid frame, provides a surface for crystal growth drops to be dispensed and easily analyzed over a broad spectrum from visible light to X-rays.

“With the help of cyclic olefin copolymers, we are pushing the boundaries when it comes to in-situ X-ray analysis, Our new crystallization plate design allows researchers to access another technique, so they can screen protein crystals in-situ compared to the previous plates which required manual crystal harvesting,” says MiTeGen’s 911������ development director Benjamin Apker.

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