Enabling membrane protein structure and dynamics with X-ray free electron lasers

Determining the three-dimensional structures and dynamics of membrane proteins remains one of the great challenges of modern biology. The recent availability of X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) light sources has opened the door to a new and revolutionary approach to performing X-ray analysis of these important biomolecules. Recent advances in sample delivery, data reduction, and phasing have enabled the high-resolution structural probing of membrane proteins at room temperature. While considerable challenges remain, the recent developments described in this review may ultimately provide structural biologists with powerful tools for obtaining unprecedented atomic-scale and dynamic visualization of membrane proteins at near-physiological conditions.