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 »
ALS News Vol. 475
December 10, 2025
Dynamic Surface Restructuring in Ag–Cu Boosts CO2 Conversion
Multimodal in situ x-ray experiments at the ALS revealed how copper–silver nanoparticle catalysts evolve during CO2 photoreduction. The findings, which demonstrate dynamic catalyst restructuring at the atomic level, provide crucial insights for enhancing the selectivity and efficiency of CO2 conversion into high-value chemicals. 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 »
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 »
Dula Parkinson Recognized for Building Community at the ALS
Dula Parkinson has received the 2025 Director’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in Community Building for his sustained commitment to fostering a culture at the Advanced Light Source that reflects enthusiastic collaboration and the Lab’s stewardship values. Read more »
200 Scouts Visit the ALS
Berkeley Lab’s Nuclear Science Division hosted another Nuclear Science Day for Scouts. The day’s activities included ALS tours for the scouts. This year a record number of about 200 scouts attended. 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 »
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 »
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.