Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Crystal Shifter® for?
Crystal Shifter® is trusted by leading crystallography labs worldwide, including research laboratories at top Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Synchrotron beamline, and Academic organizations. It is a complete platform for labs of all sizes.
Is Crystal Shifter® hardware or software?
Crystal Shifter® is more than just hardware. It is driven by the cutting-edge suite of software applications that cover all common workflows in a crystallography lab. All experiment data is recorded and integrated across popular equipment and beamlines. Designed by crystallographers for crystallographers, the software has been tried and tested in various labs globally.
Where can OLT deliver the Crystal Shifter® instrument?
Crystal Shifter® instruments are used worldwide.
What Microscopes are supported? Can you provide a microscope?
Most popular brands and models of microscopes used in crystallography are supported. OLT can also provide a compatible microscope for your lab, along with a suggested configuration.
What maintenance is required for Crystal Shifter® instruments?
Once set up to your needs, the Crystal Shifter® requires minimal maintenance—just keep it clean and dust-free. OLT offers hardware maintenance and extended warranty plans.
What should I know before considering the purchase of a Crystal Shifter® instrument?
We recommend arranging a Shifter Demo or talking to one of our customers to understand its capabilities better.
What else will I need to operate Crystal Shifter®?
The Crystal Shifter® is designed for use with a Touch-Screen PC and a Microscope. Additional components like a microscope camera for imaging or a barcode reader for workflow automation can be provided upon request. Crystal Shifter® integrates with popular lab instruments such as imagers, databases, dispensers, foot/hand controllers, barcode readers, and cameras. Contact OLT to discuss integration with other equipment and accessories.
Can OLT provide a compatible PC computer?
The Crystal Shifter® is designed for use with a Touch-Screen PC and a Microscope. OLT can supply a compatible touch-screen PC on request.
Can I use Crystal Shifter® for imaging hanging drop plates?
Yes, Crystal Shifter® can image both sitting and hanging drop plates, provided you have a compatible microscope camera.
What Plates can I use with Crystal Shifter®?
Crystal Shifter® is designed for 96 well 3-drop “midi” plates but supports all popular crystallographic sitting drop plates of similar dimensions. If an adapter for your plate is not available, we can develop one for you. Contact us to discuss your exact requirements.
Can Crystal Shifter® handle hanging drop plates?
While typically used for sitting drop applications, Crystal Shifter® can also accommodate hanging drop plates with NexTal 15 drop guards.
Can I use different plate types at the same time?
Yes, Shifter operates two plates simultaneously, allowing you to use different plate types, such as MRC3 and MRC2. This can be particularily useful for operations such as (manual) soaking or sample distribution from one plate type to another.
Our Customers
