Patent ID: 7300520

Claim:
A method for screening reagents to identify a reagent in which a preselected compound forms a crystal, comprising the steps of: (a) separately contacting each of a plurality of reagents with the compound, wherein (i) each reagent is in a separate compartment; (ii) each reagent comprises a predetermined concentration of each of two types of precipitating agents selected from the group consisting of a first type of precipitating agent which alters the activity coefficient of water, a second type of precipitating agent which increases the molecular crowding of a compound in solution, and a third type of precipitating agent which reduces the dielectric of a solution solvating the compound, wherein for any reagent which contains the same two precipitating agents as one or more other reagents the concentration of at least one of the precipitating agents is different from the concentration of such precipitating agent in any such other reagent; (b) waiting a period of time up to a maximum of one year for a crystal to form in each such reagent if such a crystal will form in such reagent; (c) determining whether a crystal has formed in any of the reagents; and (d) identifying the reagent or reagents in which the crystal has formed, so as to thereby identify the reagent or reagents in which the compound forms a crystal.