Finback: a web-based data collection system at SSRF biological macromolecular crystallography beamlines

Area of Science:

• Structural Biology
• Biophysics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Macromolecular crystallography (MX) is crucial for determining 3D structures of biological molecules.
• Automated data collection at synchrotron beamlines enhances experimental throughput and efficiency.
• Current systems may lack user-friendly interfaces or robust remote access capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and features of Finback, an integrated software system for MX data collection.
• To provide a user-friendly, web-based graphical user interface (GUI) for interactive and automated data collection.
• To enable simultaneous on-site and remote access to synchrotron beamlines.

Main Methods:

• Development of a web-based GUI using modern web technologies (WebSocket, WebGL, WebWorker, WebAssembly).
• Integration of Finback with BL02U1 and BL10U2 beamlines at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
• Implementation of features for automated MX data collection and support for multiple concurrent sessions.

Main Results:

• Finback provides a user-friendly web-based GUI for interactive MX data collection.
• The system supports simultaneous on-site and remote access, enhancing beamline accessibility.
• Finback automatically deposits experimental parameters and results into a database, integrating with data management systems.

Conclusions:

• Finback offers an advanced, integrated software solution for automated macromolecular crystallography data collection.
• The system's web-based GUI and concurrent session support improve user experience and beamline utilization.
• Finback facilitates efficient and accessible MX experiments at synchrotron facilities.