Mimer is a spreadsheet-based system for setting up and organising crystallisation experiments of proteins and other macromolecules using Microsoft Excel. Using the familiar spreadsheet format allows you to quickly enter and get an overview of an entire tray of 24 to 96 crystallisation solutions. Mimer also includes features that allow design of sparse matrix and grid screens.

Why the well?

Mimer was the smartest of all “jætter” (giants) according to Norse mythology. He guards the “well of Mimer”, which allows anyone who drinks from it to see all in both past and future. And since Mimer drinks from the well every day, he gets to be the smartest one. Although we don’t suggest that you should start drinking your well solutions, we do hope that you will enjoy using Mimer and that it will contribute towards your scientific goals.

In addition, if you do use Mimer for published work, we ask that you include the following citation:

Brodersen, D. E., Andersen, G. R., Andersen, C. B. F. (2013) “MIMER: An Automated Spreadsheet-Based Crystallization System”, Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun, 69(Pt 7): 815-20.

Thanks to Anne-Marie Lund Winther and Rune Kidmose for providing the crystal images used in this web page. The crystals illustrated are of the mammalian sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase (SERCA) (left and top), Aquifex aeolicus LeuT (bottom) and the human complement C4:MASP-2 complex (top right).