Protein crystals are useful for determining protein structures through X-ray crystallography. Proteins are dissolved in solution and supersaturated through a process of crystallization trials. This achieves a supersaturated state needed for crystal formation within a metastable region. The 3D structures provided by protein crystals are essential for understanding biological functions and aiding drug design. X-ray crystallography techniques utilize protein crystals to determine atomic structures by aligning protein molecules in the crystal lattice. Facilities like Diamond Light Source in the UK generate intense beams of synchrotron radiation to study protein crystal structures.