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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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Sample Preparation and Transfer Protocol for In-Vacuum Long-Wavelength Crystallography on Beamline I23 at Diamond Light Source
Published on: April 23, 2021
Beamline X29: a novel undulator source for X-ray crystallography
Wuxian Shi1, Howard Robinson, Michael Sullivan
1Center for Synchrotron Biosciences, Case Proteomics Center, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
|August 23, 2006
Summary
A new high-flux beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) enhances macromolecular crystallography. Beamline X29 offers intense, focused X-rays, enabling high-throughput structural genomics and research.
Area of Science:
- * Synchrotron Radiation Science
- * Materials Science
- * Biophysics
Background:
- * Macromolecular crystallography requires high-intensity X-ray sources for detailed structural analysis.
- * Existing beamlines at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) had limitations in flux and collimation for advanced experiments.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To develop and implement a novel high-flux insertion device and beamline for advanced macromolecular crystallography.
- * To significantly increase X-ray brightness and improve beam quality for structural biology research.
Main Methods:
- * Installation of a mini-gap undulator (12.5 mm period) at beamline X29, operating at 3.3-10 mm gaps.
- * Implementation of advanced X-ray optics, including a sagittally focusing cryo-cooled monochromator and a vertical focusing mirror.
- * Integration of a high-speed CCD detector and an auto-mounter crystal changer for automated data collection.
Main Results:
- * Beamline X29 achieves an actual flux of 2.5 x 10^11 photons/s at 11.271 keV.
- * The beamline provides hard X-rays (5-15 keV) with high collimation and intensity, 1000 times brighter than bending-magnet sources at NSLS.
- * Facilitates high-throughput data collection for structural genomics and collaborative research programs.
Conclusions:
- * The new mini-gap undulator beamline X29 at NSLS represents a significant advancement for macromolecular crystallography.
- * It enables more efficient and detailed structural studies, supporting major research initiatives in structural genomics.
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