Interim ALS Director, Andreas Scholl and Interim ALS-U Project Director Dimitri Argyriou usher in 2025 with a message for you on the ALS-U project and the priorities for the new year. Watch their conversation or access the full transcript. Read more »
ALS News Vol. 465
January 29, 2025
Understanding the Role of Manganese in Fuel Production Catalysts
Using specialized equipment at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), including a custom-built reaction cell, researchers uncovered the role of manganese in cobalt manganese oxide catalysts used for fuel production. Read more »
Identification and Structural Characterization of Antibodies for Severe Malaria
Researchers used x-ray crystallography at the ALS to characterize how two newly discovered antibodies prevent the protein interactions responsible for severe malaria. Understanding this mechanism offers novel insights for vaccine development. Read more »
Hide-and-Seek with Sneaky Electrons in Solids
Researchers used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) to demonstrate the existence of dark—state electrons in solids for the first time, providing insights into complex phenomena in physics, such as high-temperature superconductivity and optoelectronics.
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Autonomous Beamlines: Harnessing Bayesian Optimization to Revolutionize Accelerator Science
Scientists at the Advanced Light Source are developing automated beam optimization systems, collaborating with other light sources to deploy common controls across facilities. Using machine learning, they demonstrated automated beamline alignment that optimizes beam size and flux at the push of a button. Read more »
Whitney Loo, 2025 Users’ Executive Committee Chair
The ALS was a major selling point when Whitney Loo chose where to pursue her PhD. Now that she runs her own research group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she is maintaining her ties and giving back to the ALS community by serving on the UEC. Read more »
March 5, 2025, Deadline for General User Proposals—Updated Proposal Writing Guidelines!
The User Office is accepting new General User Proposals (GUPs) from scientists who wish to conduct research at the ALS in the 2025-2 (August–December) cycle. The deadline for submissions is March 5, 2025. Please review the updated proposal guidelines, with thanks to feedback from proposal submitters and reviewers. Additional beamtime cycles will be run before the ALS-U dark time, and we will share more information as it becomes available. Read more »
Call for 2021 to 2024 Publications
Our next Department of Energy quadrennial review is coming up soon. Please help ensure our records include all publications resulting from work done, in whole or in part, at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), especially those published in 2021 to 2024. Read more »
New UEC Members for 2025
Welcome to new 2025 members Joshua Del Mundo, Wei He, Matt Landsman, Lowell Miyagi, and Brandy Toner. Special thanks to the outgoing members, Inna Vishik, Connor Bischak, Sharon Bone, Devin Grabner, Yu He, and Grant Shoffner for their service. Read more »
Updated Chemical Safety Policy 2025
A new lab-wide chemical safety policy requires that all chemicals be reviewed and approved before they arrive at LBNL. As a user of the ALS, you must provide a complete list of chemicals you want to send or bring to the ALS and wait until you receive approval before you proceed. Chemicals that arrive without approval may be returned to the sender. For details on what is considered a chemical under this policy and instructions for obtaining approval, please see the ALS chemical safety webpage. Read more »