High throughput screening of crystallization of a target material is
accomplished by simultaneously introducing a solution of the target
material into a plurality of chambers of a microfabricated fluidic
device. The microfabricated fluidic device is then manipulated to vary
the solution condition in the chambers, thereby simultaneously providing
a large number of crystallization environments. Control over changed
solution conditions may result from a variety of techniques, including
but not limited to metering volumes of crystallizing agent into the
chamber by volume exclusion, by entrapment of volumes of crystallizing
agent determined by the dimensions of the microfabricated structure, or
by cross-channel injection of sample and crystallizing agent into an
array of junctions defined by intersecting orthogonal flow channels.