Three-day exchange at User Meeting
From December 12 to 14, more than 400 users of HZB's BER II and BESSY II large-scale equipment met up to discuss the current state of technology and exchange their views on pressing scientific issues. Two of the highlights were Science Day on December 13 and Neutron Day on December 14, both held at the Bunsensaal in Berlin-Adlershof. Both days, the focus was on instrumentation. Participants were able to learn about new technologies and advances in large-scale equipment instrumentation. Science Day featured the many scientific achievements that have been made thanks to BESSY II and BER II.
Holger Dau of the Free University Berlin delivered the keynote lecture titled "X-ray spectroscopy in solar-fuels research - from biology to inorganic catalysts." EMPA Zurich's Andreas Züttel gave the public lecture titled "What we learn from history to master the future energy challenge." The two lectures impressively highlighted the tremendous potential of large-scale equipment in energy research.
Science Day awards
On December 13, two awards were given out by the Helmholtz Centre Berlin Circle of Friends. Recipients of this year's 4000 Euro Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Award included DESY's and European X-FEL's Gianluca Geloni, Vitali Kocharyan, and Evgeni Saldin as well as Paul Emma of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The four physicists were being recognized for their development of a "self-seeding" protocol that significantly improves free-electron laser technology.
The Ernst-Eckhard-Koch Award for excellence in doctoral-level research in the amount of 2500 Euros went to up-and-coming physicist Dr. Daniil Evtushinsky of the Leibniz Institute for Solid Body and Materials Research in recognition of his work on band-structured and fermi areas of a new class of two-dimensional, high-temperature superconductors.
The HZB User Committee's Best Poster Award went to Christian Caspers of the Jülich Research Centre for the skillful presentation of his work on "Magnetic Oxides EuO Thin Films on Surface Passivated Silicon for Silicon Spintronics."
240 posters, 51 vendors
During the poster session in BESSY experimental hall, a total of 240 posters documented the work done by both HZB and external researchers using the HZB research facilities, with topics ranging from the life sciences and basic physics research to applied research on industrial materials. In addition, five satellite symposia sought to answer pertinent questions on neutron spectroscopy, crystallography, and related topics.
As in previous years, the user meeting featured a well-attended industry exhibit with 51 vendors of synchrotron spectroscopy and neutron diffraction experimental equipment showcasing a broad range of state-of-the-art products. Thanks to the vendors' generous financial support, the lavish "Berlin Buffet" on Thursday night, which offered yet another chance for conversation and networking, attracted many visitors. The organizers would like to thank Adlerhof con.vent, WISTA Management GmbH's event planners, for organizing the industry exhibit.
- Surprising insights into the chemistry of hydroxyl radicals at BESSY IIHow do radicals form in aqueous solutions when exposed to UV light? This question is important for health research and environmental protection, for example with regard to the overfertilisation of water bodies by intensive agriculture. A team at BESSY II has now developed a new method of investigating hydroxyl radicals in solution. By using a clever trick, the scientists gained surprising insights into the reaction pathway.
- Kick-off for a new data and AI centre in BerlinBy establishing a new data and AI centre in Berlin, the Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) are laying the foundations for a scalable and sovereign data infrastructure in the capital. The project strengthens the scientific capabilities of Berlin’s research community whilst making an important contribution to research security, resilience and technological independence.
- Protein crystallography at BESSY II: faster, better and more and more automaticMany diseases are linked to malfunctions of proteins in the organism. The three-dimensional architecture of these molecules is often highly complex, but it can provide valuable insights into biological processes and the development of drugs. X-ray diffraction at the MX beamlines of BESSY II can be used to decipher the 3D structure of proteins. To date, more than 5000 structures have been solved at the three MX beamlines. Here, we present a review and an outlook with Manfred Weiss, head of the research group for macromolecular crystallography.