Grain of salt

Disclaimer: Post for crystallographers!

I have done my first rotation in a structural biology lab. And I have dabbled around with X-ray crystallography and NMR. I have come to learn that you can't always rely 100% on inferences made from crystal structures because the protein structure is not representative of the structure in solution. Bottom line, take in all the results and discussion from crystallography journal papers with a grain of salt.

I have also learnt that asking a crystallographer to take life with a grain of salt isn't really a good idea...

Because a grain of salt could be the difference between crystallization and precipitation! :-\

P.S.: another reason why cooking is better than lab... adding a few microlitres or milligrams extra of any component is not disastrous in kitchen. I can deal with bigger quantities and approximation instead of teeny tiny portions with accuracy :-<