Understanding the structure and dynamics of biological molecules and their interactions has proven to be critical in understanding, and even influencing, their functions. National synchrotron facilities provide a powerful array of tools for such structural biology studies, including a variety of x-ray techniques such as macromolecular x-ray crystallography, small-angle x-ray solution scattering, x-ray microscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence and x-ray footprinting. Many of these technologies, as they are developed to take advantage of next-generation synchrotron sources, are trending toward use of high flux beams and/or beams which require enhanced stability and precise understanding of beam position and intensity. An award is made to an integrated collaborative team from Case Western Reserve University, Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory to develop instrumented diamond-based vacuum windows capable of simultaneously measuring the volumetric flux, position and morphology of a high flux x-ray beam to address the needs of these upcoming facilities. Because the instrument is integrated into a vacuum window, these devices are expected to offer a robust replacement option for the fragile, toxic beryllium windows nearly ubiquitous in current x-ray beamlines, while also providing beam monitoring capabilities.
This project will directly enhance the research infrastructure at current and next-generation bioscience beamlines, with capabilities applicable across many scientific disciplines. Our national synchrotron user facilities are critical resources both for research and education, serving many thousands of users from nearly every scientific discipline every year, thus the potential user community for these devices is quite profound. These facilities also serve as training grounds at all levels of education, with programs for community outreach, K-12 programs, undergraduate internships, graduate dissertation research, postdoctoral training, and workshops to introduce established scientists to new research tools. In addition to active participation in these programs, this project directly supports the training of a graduate student who will learn a broad range of experimental techniques, taking advantage of the diverse expertise of the collaborative group. Recruitment of undergraduate students from the REU program is also expected to enhance the program. The multi-institution collaboration established to develop the instrument is comprised of researchers from the fields of biophysics, accelerator physics, and materials science, and the project includes academic, government and industrial participation. This diverse set of backgrounds will provide a breadth of experience for student training through the project. The instrument design and software developed during the project will be disseminated through publication, participation in conferences and workshops as well as seminars specifically directed toward educating the synchrotron community. Upon successful completion of this project, it is expected that funding will be pursued to move these devices into a broadly applicable format appropriate for commercial production.
