Mechanisms of protein and virus crystal growth: an atomic force microscopy study of canavalin and STMV crystallization

The evolution of surface morphology and step dynamics during the growth of rhombohedral crystals of the protein canavalin and crystals of the cubic satellite tobacco mosaic virus (STMV) have been investigated for the first time by in situ atomic force microscopy. These two crystals were observed to grow by very different mechanisms. Growth of canavalin occurs on complex vicinal hillocks formed by multiple, independently acting screw...