David Cobessi
Papers
1
Total Citations
18
H-Index
1
About
David Cobessi is a leading figure in structural biology and protein crystallography, with a focus on automating the most delicate and labor-intensive steps in macromolecular crystallography. His major contribution is the development of REACH (Robotic Equipment for Automated Crystal Harvesting), a pioneering system that uses a six-axis robot arm and micro-gripper to automate the transfer of protein crystals from crystallization drops into cryoprotectant solutions and subsequent flash-cooling. This work directly addresses the two critical manual steps that remained bottlenecks in high-throughput crystallography—steps that demand exceptional dexterity and pose risks of sample loss or damage. By introducing reliable automation, Cobessi’s research has significantly enhanced reproducibility, safety, and throughput in structural biology labs. Although his most-cited paper (2013) has garnered 18 citations, its impact is substantial within the niche of crystallographic automation, influencing subsequent robotic designs and workflows. His achievements underscore a commitment to advancing experimental efficiency, enabling researchers to focus on downstream analysis and accelerating the determination of protein structures for drug discovery and fundamental biology.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1