Common platform for macromolecular crystallography at European synchrotrons
MXcuBE Meeting from 1st - 2nd of December 2015 at Alba, Barcelona. The meetings make sure that the devenlopment of MXcuBE3 closly fits to the needs of the users.
Photo: Jordi Juanhuix/ALBA
Researchers use high-intensity X-ray light from synchrotron radiation sources to decipher the structures of biological molecules and thus the blueprints of life. A cooperation agreement has been effective since 2012 to establish common software standards at several European sources. Its aim: The eight synchrotrons involved want to create user-friendly, standardised conditions at the 30 experimental stations for macromolecular crystallography, which will greatly facilitate the work of research groups. In the new project “MXCuBE3”, the existing software platform is being adapted to include the latest developments in technology.
Many of the beamlines for macromolecular crystallography have been extensively modernised at various synchrotrons over the past few years. With new equipment, such as the latest high-resolution detectors, this opens up all new possibilities for experimentation. The common software platform MXCuBE2 now has to be adapted as well to keep up with this trend. The Curatorship has accordingly called for a new, overhauled version to be developed. The software solution MXCuBE3 will allow users to control their experiments via web applications. The upgrade will also guarantee MXCuBE3 will continue to run on computers with future operating systems, and will improve the connection to the sample database ISPyB.
Involved in the cooperation are the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, the ESRF, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Global Phasing Limited, MAX-VI-Lab in Sweden, SOLEIL in France, ALBA in Spain and DESY.
Read up on this in more detail in the ESRF magazine
- Alternating currents for alternative computing with magnetsA new study conducted at the University of Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, and the Helmholtz Centers in Berlin and Dresden takes an important step in the challenge to miniaturize computing devices and to make them more energy-efficient. The work published in the renowned scientific journal Science Advances opens up new possibilities for creating reprogrammable magnonic circuits by exciting spin waves by alternating currents and redirecting these waves on demand. The experiments were carried out at the Maxymus beamline at BESSY II.
- BESSY II: Heterostructures for SpintronicsSpintronic devices work with spin textures caused by quantum-physical interactions. A Spanish-German collaboration has now studied graphene-cobalt-iridium heterostructures at BESSY II. The results show how two desired quantum-physical effects reinforce each other in these heterostructures. This could lead to new spintronic devices based on these materials.
- Green hydrogen: MXenes shows talent as catalyst for oxygen evolutionThe MXene class of materials has many talents. An international team led by HZB chemist Michelle Browne has now demonstrated that MXenes, properly functionalised, are excellent catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in electrolytic water splitting. They are more stable and efficient than the best metal oxide catalysts currently available. The team is now extensively characterising these MXene catalysts for water splitting at the Berlin X-ray source BESSY II and Soleil Synchrotron in France.