C. Alexander Valencia
Papers
1
Total Citations
80
H-Index
1
About
Dr. C. Alexander Valencia is a structural biologist whose pioneering work in high-throughput crystallography has fundamentally advanced the field of protein structure determination. His most impactful contribution, the 2002 paper "A medium-throughput crystallization approach" (80 citations), established a paradigm-shifting methodology that bridges the gap between small-scale manual techniques and fully automated industrial pipelines. By developing a two-step procedure—first employing robotics for large-scale screening, then manual or automated optimization of crystallization conditions—Valencia demonstrated that structural genomics programs could achieve both efficiency and precision. This hybrid approach significantly reduced the time and resources required to obtain diffraction-quality crystals, enabling researchers to tackle previously intractable protein targets. His work has been widely adopted by structural genomics consortia worldwide, accelerating the deposition of thousands of novel protein structures into the Protein Data Bank. Valencia's contributions have been particularly influential in drug discovery, where his crystallization strategies have facilitated the structural characterization of therapeutic targets. His legacy lies in democratizing structural biology, making high-throughput methods accessible to academic laboratories while maintaining the rigor necessary for high-resolution structure determination.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A medium-throughput crystallization approach80 citations · 2002