New X-Ray Source for Molecular Imaging

Scientists are evaluating what they call the "Ferrari” of synchotron beamline-high technology research facilities for imaging molecules.

At the Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, IL, USA), several innovative design characteristics that allow for automation, additional research stations, and more refined information will enable scientists to study molecules in greater detail and convert these data into new therapeutic medications, eventually benefiting research and human health. The project is supported by the U.S National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Synchrotrons produce powerful x-ray beams that scientists utilize use to image the three-dimensional (3D) shapes of molecules. However, only a small amount of these large-scale facilities exist worldwide. Biochemists, biologists, and other scientists apply for access to approximately 45 experimental stations in the United States. Many want time to use the advanced photon source (APS), a DOE-user facility at Argonne offering the most powerful x-ray beams in the Western Hemisphere.

The additional experimental stations at APS can accommodate many robotic and automated tools. This ability could enable scientists to conduct their studies from their home laboratories. The beamlines are the first to also utilize the innovative APS technology that splits one x-ray beam into two and then adjusts each one so it is exactly as strong as the original. "The ability to do two experiments simultaneously from the same light source is a big bonus,” explained Dr. Smith. "It doubles the value of real estate at the synchrotron.”

But where the new beamlines really demonstrate their strength is in their capacity to generate very fine x-ray beams. This characteristic enables scientists to retrieve data on molecules that have been difficult to work with in the past. The new facilities have already produced exciting results. One research group has succeeded in producing a detailed structure of the bacteria-infecting HK97 virus--a significant achievement given that most viruses are complicated and difficult to image at high resolutions. Knowing the structures of viruses and proteins and how they bind to other molecules will help investigators develop drugs that block those interactions.

Structural biologists will have general access to one of the beamlines later in 2005. The team expects all three to be fully operational by summer of 2007.




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Argonne National Laboratory