Recent advances in small-angle scattering and its expanding impact in structural biology

Abstract

Applications of small-angle scattering (SAS) in structural biology have benefited from continuing developments in instrumentation, tools for data analysis, modeling capabilities, standards for data and model presentation, and data archiving. The interplay of these capabilities has enabled SAS to contribute to advances in structural biology as the field pushes the boundaries in studies of biomolecular complexes and assemblies as large as whole cells, membrane proteins in lipid environments, and dynamic systems on time scales ranging from femtoseconds to hours. This review covers some of the important advances in biomolecular SAS capabilities for structural biology focused on over the last 5 years and presents highlights of recent applications that demonstrate how the technique is exploring new territories.

Keywords: SANS; SAXS; Small-angle scattering; TR-SANS; TR-SAXS; USANS; USAXS; biomolecular modeling; data archiving; publication standards; structure-based screening; time-resolved small-angle scattering; ultra-small-angle scattering.