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New UEC Members for 2026

Welcome to new 2026 members Alex Ditter, Brandy Stewart, Baran Eren, Harry Lisabeth, and Simruthi Subramanian! Special thanks to the outgoing members, Quentin Williams, Sophie Morley, Tamas Varga, Leonid Sheps, Aidan Coffey, and Alexander Baker for their service. Read more »

Ancient Asteroid Provides Evidence of Amino Acid Precursors

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 »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

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 »

Mirrored Momentum: ALS Hosts SSRL Staff

Three months after the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) hosted Advanced Light Source (ALS) staff to grow longstanding partnerships and build new connections, the two facilities swapped host and visitor roles. Not wanting to lose the momentum from the first trip, event organizers Dula Parkinson and Uta Ruett filled the ALS visit program with further discussion on a series of shared interests, ranging from research areas to innovative instrumentation. 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 »

ALS in the News (December 2025)

Processing Time for On-Site Users

Please remember that all on-site users must register well in advance of their scheduled beamtime. US citizens are required to complete registration at least 21 days before their experiment. Non-US citizens must register at least 60 days in advance due to updated DOE screening requirements. Please plan ahead to ensure timely processing and avoid delays to your access.

MOFs in the Light: ALS User Omar Yaghi Receives 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Omar Yaghi, Susumu Kitagawa, and Richard Robson for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). At many different ALS beamlines, Yaghi used a broad range of techniques to characterize MOFs in formats such as small crystals, thin films, and powders, leading to applications in water harvesting, carbon dioxide conversion, and more. Read more »

UEC Nominations Due October 31, 2025

The Advanced Light Source Users’ Executive Committee (UEC) invites nominations for its upcoming election for five new UEC members (2026–2028 term). Nominations will be accepted through Friday, October 31, 2025. Take a look at what is involved, and remember that self-nominations are welcome! Read more »