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Update from ALS Director Steve Kevan

Steve Kevan highlights the ALS achievements of the past year and looks forward to progress on many fronts. The ALS-U Project, Science Council, and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability (IDEA) will all shape the ALS of the future. Read more »

Molecular Handle Enables Viral Attack on Joint Cells

A collaboration of university and industry researchers used x-ray crystallography to investigate how the chikungunya virus, which can cause debilitating joint pain, engages a receptor protein found on the surfaces of joint cells. The work provides a path forward in the fight against a family of viruses that can result in acute and chronic arthritis. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Crystallography Reveals How New Molecular Cages Trap Toxic Gases

Current technologies for reducing toxic gas emissions are often ineffective and wasteful. Crystallographic analyses of two new MOF materials revealed how they reversibly bind their target gases, enabling the materials to be reused over many cycles (reducing waste) and permitting subsequent conversion of the gases into valuable chemical products. Read more »

March 4 Deadline for General User Proposals

The User Office is accepting new General User Proposals (GUPs) from scientists who wish to conduct research at the ALS in the 2020-2 (July–December) cycle. The deadline for submissions is March 4, 2020. Applicants are reminded that they may request joint access to the Molecular Foundry, a nanoscience user facility at Berkeley Lab, to support their ALS activities. Read more »

The Choreography of Quantum Dot Fusion

X-ray scattering experiments helped reveal how nanosized crystals (“quantum dots”) self-assemble and fuse to form “supercrystals” with potentially useful electronic properties. The findings provide new insight into the fabrication of high-performance, low-cost electronic materials for photovoltaic and photon-sensing applications. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Unique Cancer Drug Discovered With Help From Advanced Light Source Begins Historic Clinical Trial

Errors in the KRAS gene, which encodes a crucial cell-signaling protein, are one of the most common causes of cancer. Seeking to develop a long-sought direct inhibitor, researchers at Amgen conducted x-ray crystallography of KRAS(G12C) proteins at the ALS. The high-resolution structural maps helped Amgen make the breakthrough discovery of a small pocket on the molecule. Read more »

Discovery of a Covalent Inhibitor of KRASG12C (AMG 510) for the Treatment of Solid Tumors

KRASG12C has emerged as a promising target in the treatment of solid tumors; however, clinically viable inhibitors have yet to be identified. Here, researchers report on structure-based design and optimization efforts, culminating in the identification of AMG 510, a highly potent, selective, and well-tolerated KRASG12C inhibitor currently in phase I clinical trials (NCT03600883). Read more »