Abstract :  Solving the sequence of human genome has been called one of history’s greatest scientific achievements. The information contained in the genetic code alone, however, does not tell us what role the genes play. Genes code for proteins, and it is the proteins that participate in reactions leading to various metabolic pathways. So the next feat is to solve the structure and understand the function of all proteins. One of the bottlenecks hindering the protein structure determination by x-ray diffraction is the sensitivity of biological molecules to x-ray radiation. I will present measurements that assess the damage rates, and discuss the results within the context of various physical and chemical processes in biological crystals during the x-ray exposure.