Interactions and phase transitions in protein solutions

Understanding interactions and phase transitions in protein solutions is essential in order to develop systematic protein crystallisation strategies. Recent studies show that proteins near crystallisation behave as particles interacting via a very short-range attractive potential. The microscopic origin of this attractive term, and its strong dependence on the nature of the crystallisation agent, is, however, still obscure. The interplay of crystal nucleation with formation of weakly bonded amorphous aggregates also deserves further analysis.