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X-Rays Reveal the Biting Truth About Parrotfish Teeth

A parrotfish’s hardy teeth allow it to chomp on coral all day long, ultimately grinding it up through digestion into fine sand. Researchers wanting to see how the fine crystal structure of parrotfish teeth contribute to their incredible strength were able to visualize the orientation of individual crystals, which showed their intricately woven structure. Read more »

Natalie Larson Awarded Neville Smith Student Poster Prize

Natalie Larson, a current ALS doctoral fellow from UC Santa Barbara, won the first prize Neville B. Smith Student Poster Award at the 2017 ALS User Meeting. Larson’s winning poster featured the first two big in situ experiments she performed at Beamline 8.3.2. Read more »

Congratulations to the “Science as Art” Competition Winners

The ALS Science as Art Competition debuted at this year’s User Meeting. Congratulations to the winners (clockwise, from top left): Bill Kenney (ALS), Photography, User Meeting Vote for “ALS Dome through Crane”; Mark Elsegood (Loughborough Univ.), Photography, Online Vote for “Eerie Green Glow”; Chris Jozwiak (ALS), User Meeting Vote for “Space: The Final ARPES Frontier”; and Jay Wason (Yale), Art, Online Vote for “Horizon.” Read more »

Sue Bailey Receives Tim Renner User Services Award

This year’s Tim Renner User Services Award for Outstanding Support to the ALS User Community was awarded to ALS User Services Group Leader Sue Bailey “for her leadership in developing the ALS User Portal—ALSHub—and its associated software suite.” Read more »

X-Ray Footprinting Solves Mystery of Metal-Breathing Protein

Scientists have discovered the details of an unconventional coupling between a bacterial protein and a mineral that allows the bacterium to breathe when oxygen is not available. The research could lead to innovations in linking proteins to other materials for bioelectronic devices such as sensors that can diagnose disease or detect contaminants. Read more »

2017 ALS User Meeting Highlights

The annual ALS User Meeting convened October 2–4, bringing together 400 users to share insights from their own research and hear updates about the facility and colleagues’ research. The event, co-chaired by Users’ Executive Committee (UEC) members Francesca Toma and Monika Blum, comprised plenary sessions as well as 13 focused workshops. Read more »

Fracture Evolution in Carbonate-Rich Shale

Accurate assessment of the suitability of subsurface rock formations for CO2 containment requires a good understanding of fracture evolution. Researchers combined x-ray microtomography with advanced computer simulations to improve models of fracture development in carbonate-rich shale samples. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Provide Input on Beamlines for the ALS Upgrade

The ALS seeks input from the community on potential new and rebuilt beamlines to be included in the ALS-U Project. A series of online user forums is being held to provide project updates and solicit input. The next takes place on December 6 at 10 a.m. PT. Input is also being accepted through an online form. More information about the process and upcoming events can be found here. Read more »

NIH Grant Will Enhance Structural Biology Research Experience for ALS Users

A recently awarded National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant will help integrate existing structural biology resources at the ALS to better serve users. The funds will help establish a centralized collaborative mechanism, called ALS-ENABLE, that will guide users through the most appropriate routes for answering their biological questions. Read more »