Researchers identified nitrogen-rich compounds in samples from the asteroid Bennu, returned to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. The results support the idea that asteroids like Bennu may have delivered the essential chemical building blocks of life to Earth in the distant past. Read more »
Robotics Project Pushes Toward Self-Driving Materials Optimization
A new multi-disciplinary team aims to automate complex sample handling at Beamline 7.3.3, leveraging AI and robotics to speed up material optimization and discovery. Read more »
Ian Lacey, Principal Scientific Engineering Associate
The storage ring of the ALS generates incredibly bright beams of x-rays. But they are only useful to users, if we can steer and focus them onto the sample. Ian Lacey, working in the metrology lab of the ALS, helps measure and tune the optical elements needed for that steering. Read more »
Director’s Message on Beamlines
As we are preparing for a transformative upgrade of the ALS, we are also reviewing our beamline portfolio to ready it for our operation after the dark time. To make space for new scientific developments, we have made the difficult decision to not reopen several beamlines and endstations. We have held a series of user forums and look forward to continued engagement with our community for new developments and opportunities. Read more »
January–July 2026 Operating Schedule Announced
The operating schedule for the 2026-1 cycle (January-July 2026) has been posted. The next shutdown will begin in January 2026 and will last approximately four weeks. Afterwards, we will have five months of user beamtime through early July, and then we will shut down for the second half of 2026 for the replacement of the switch station through which all power for the ALS accelerator comes. The most up-to-date information on the current schedule and future outlook can always be found on the Operating Schedule web page. Read more »