Seeding allows one to grow crystals in the Metastable Zone, where spontaneous homogeneous nucleation cannot occur, but crystal growth from seeds can occur. Why would one want to do this? For control, reproducibility, and to improve the likelihood of a successful crystallization experiment. In the Metastable Zone crystals can grow from seeds but cannot spontaneously nucleate. By placing a seed or solution of seeds in a drop which is saturated to the Metastable Zone one can use the seeds to grow larger single crystals. By controlling the number of seeds introduced into the Metastable Zone drop one can control the number of crystals grown. It is not practically possible to measure and know the number of seeds introduced to a drop, but by performing serial dilutions from a concentrated seed stock one can control the number of crystals grown in the Metastable Drop.

The following crystallization presentations, posters, reading and products focus on seeding. Seeding can be a powerful screening and optimization method and should be in every crystal growers repertoire.

Nucleation and seeding in protein crystallization: an old story retold, by Allan D’Acry

The importance of nucleation and seeding in protein crystallization, case studies using microseed matrix seeding by Allan D'Arcy

Maximizing crystallization success with microseed matrix screening, by Galina Obmolova

A review of seeding methods, by Aengus Mac Sweeney

The benefits gained from a redesigned crystallisation strategy focused on a high throughput seeding technique, by Alexey Rak

Random microseeding: A theoretical and practical exploration of seed stability and seeding techniques for successful protein crystallization, by Patrick Shaw Stewart

Fast optimisation: 2-D grid seeding method, by Lesley F. Haire

Macro-seeding – a key to high resolution complex structures, by Hongwei Guo

Combining in-site proteolysis and microseed matrix screening to promote crystallization of PrPc-nanobody complexes, by Romany Abskharon

Crystal Growth 101 – Seeding

Hampton Research Tools for Seeding