Two distinct approaches to crystallization results-recording databases.
Two different systems for recording crystallization results are described. Both programs are written in Microsoft Excel. Results can be entered either as text or numerical scores. In each system, one can search or query on the results, macromolecule name, experimental parameters, etc. and correlate these to specific crystallization conditions or trends in the crystallizations. Such information is valuable when optimizing crystal growth conditions and determining new crystallization parameters to test. XTAL RES is a Macintosh program that is linked to PCRYSTAL (software used to enter details of the crystallization experiments) through an Oracle database on a VAX network. A second system, the Electronic Notebook, was designed as a 'stand-alone' Excel application running under Microsoft Windows.