Imaging techniques have seen an intense development using neutron and synchrotron radiation over the past 20 years, with the development of brighter sources and efficient detectors. Newest developments in imaging techniques will be presented and discussed. Beyond the experimental aspects, the data analysis workflow is essential for an efficient and objective interpretation of experimental data.

This school will, thus, be an “image language course” in which experts and beginners are discussing the creation and use of images. With the help of “best practice” and “bad practice” examples fundamental aspects of image production and image operation shall be highlighted and discussed, from the definition of experimental parameters, the reconstruction algorithms, to data visualization.

The course will cover a wide range of experimental imaging techniques: two and three-dimensional imaging, time-resolved experiments, absorption, phase-contrast, scanning microscopy, coherent diffraction imaging and ptychography, etc…

The school will begin with two days of lectures covering major techniques and theoretical aspects of image processing, one poster session, one day of practicals on ESRF beamlines, one day of tutorials focusing on data analysis, and one day of lectures on more specialized topics.

NOTE: the school is primarily intended for young researchers (PhD students and postdocs), but more experienced researchers interested in the topic can also apply.

Topics

• Synthetic Route Discovery
• Costing of Chemical Processes
• The Investigative Approach to Chemical Development
• Solvent Effects
• Statistical Methods of Optimisation
• Analytical Issues
• Work Up
• Planning for Scale-Up
• Appreciation of Chemical Engineering Principles
• Crystallisation and Polymorphism
• New and Emerging Technologies in Process R&D
• Thermal Hazard Testing and Runaway Reactions
• Effluent Minimisation and Control

Problems in structural biology today can very often not be solved by one technique alone, but need to be solved by a combination of methods, including NMR, X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, structural mass spectrometry, and SAXS. The heterogeneous data coming from these methods need to be combined with advanced molecular modeling techniques. The goal of the course is to provide young scientists that have more specialized knowledge in one of the techniques an overview over the broad range of modern structural methods available. Special emphasis will be given to computational approaches to integrate data (such as IMP, ARIA).

The course is principally aimed at the mature graduate student / postdoctoral level, but applications from scientists at all levels are encouraged. The course will consist of lectures, which will give introductions into the principles and limitations of the different techniques, and practical work on data analysis with the major structure refinement / modeling programs.

The course fee of € 250 (students) covers lodging and part of the meals.

Participants will be limited to 25. Registration deadline is April 13

Application deadline:Â Monday, April 10, 2017

The main purpose of the National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering is to educate graduate students attending North American universities in the use of major neutron and X-ray facilities. Lectures, presented by researchers from academia, industry and national laboratories, will include basic tutorials on the principles of scattering theory and the characteristics of the sources, as well as seminars on the application of scattering methods to a variety of scientific subjects. Students will conduct short experiments at Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor, which provides hands-on experience for using neutron and synchrotron sources.
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The selection process is highly competitive with priority given to students who are in an early stage in their research projects and who are likely to use a wide range of X-ray and/or neutron techniques and thus will benefit from the breadth of the school.

This workshop will take place in Caen, France. Â The training will cover many aspects of "Combined Analysis" by X-ray and neutron scattering ranging from fundamental requirements to technically relevant industrial and academic applications, including diffraction techniques, phase analysis, electron microscopy and the use of MAUD software.

The number of places on the workshop is limited to 30. Â Registration deadline is 30th June 2017.

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The aim of the course is to teach the basic principles and practical
aspects of image processing to bioscientists and structural biologists
wishing to determine macromolecular structures by cryo electron
microscopy (EM). The course will concentrate on processing of single
particle images, and will be aimed at advanced PhD students and postdocs
working on projects producing cryo EM images for structural analysis.
Familiarity with UNIX would be an advantage.

The first half of the day will include two 50-minutes lectures and
discussions. A 3-hour practical would take place in the afternoon, with
discussion time at the end. After dinner there will be invited speaker
lectures or student presentations.

Applications are invited from PhD students and researchers in EM. Please
apply now via http://meetings.embo.org/event/17-cryo-em

Session II - Advanced Methods in X-ray Powder Diffraction

• Brief review of fundamentals
• Factors affecting accuracy of measured 2theta values: intensity aberrations, specimen displacement, specimen transparency, diffractometer alignment, and the use of external and internal standards
• Factors affecting intensities of diffraction peaks: structure-sensitive properties, specimen-sensitive effects, and measurement-sensitive effects
• Use of computer methods for data reduction and qualitative phase identification: peak-hunting methods, alpha2 stripping, search/match techniques and the Powder Diffraction File™, use of elemental data, error windows and probability searching, and scoring algorithms
• Advanced data mining with the PDF
• Exploration of powder pattern indexing methods
• Quantitative analysis: specimen preparation considerations, Reference Intensity Ratios, absorption correction methods, matrix-flushing methods, and whole-pattern analysis using the Rietveld method
• Structure solution and refinement using the Rietveld method

Session I - Fundamentals of X-ray Powder Diffraction

• Production and properties of X-rays: continuous and characteristic radiation, absorption, scatter and diffraction
• Production of monochromatic X-radiation: choice of source conditions, use of beta-filters, proportional detectors and pulse height selection, monochromators, use of the Si(Li) and Ge(Li) detectors
• Components of the diffraction pattern: expected reflections, Miller indices, unexpected reflections, effect of scatter and fluorescence, factors affecting peak positions and intensities
• The powder diffractometer: optical arrangement, factors affecting instrumental profile widths; choice and function of divergence slits, calibration and alignment, detectors, X-ray optics
• Acquisition of good diffraction data: specimen requirements, preparation techniques, use of standards, and proper operation of powder diffractometers
• Qualitative phase identification: the Powder Diffraction File™, quality of reference patterns, the Alphabetical, Hanawalt, and Fink Indexes, automated methods, and specialized subfiles
• Industrial applications of X-ray powder diffraction
• Hands-on use of computers for demonstration of the latest software
• Data mining with the PDF

The events could be of value to the community as it will showcase the CCP5 software framework and its application for bio-molecule force-field model set-up and other general complex and organic molecules such as drugs and polymers. DL_FIELD and DL_POLY offer advantages in setting up multi-component, complex systems, including organic-inorganic interfaces, by utilising a wide range of force-field schemes and a large selection of MD techniques, not commonly available in other traditional, bio-simulation programs. Access to modelling polymer and organic systems on the mesoscale is facilitated by DL_MESO via Dissipative Particle Dynamics.

The aim of the training workshop is to provide course material and training to the following molecular modelling packages â€" DL_POLY, DL_FIELD, DL_MESO and DL_CGMAP. DL_MONTE and ChemShell will also be showcased on day 3 (5 April 2017); however, support for these packages will be limited during the tutorial sessions.

The events are an opportunity for current and potential users of DL_Software to learn what methodologies and algorithms these programs offer, how to use them efficiently and best apply to user specific needs. The workshop also offers demonstrations and hands-on sessions giving users the opportunity to compile, run and experiment with the programs as well as interact with their developers.

For the full workshop description and registration, please click here

The Hack Day is a one-day technical workshop aiming specifically for researchers who are interested to modify the supported DL_Software programs (DL_POLY, DL_FIELD, DL_MESO, ChemShell, DL_MONTE) and tailor model set-up to their specific project needs. For instance: model set-up, software porting, addition of new features, modification of the existing features, etc. (please, state your needs in the registration page). In addition, the Hack Day is the best opportunity for those who may be interested to seek advice and help in simulation set-up and model development, work flow scripting, job submissions, etc.

For the Hack Day registration, please click here

The Diamond Light Source Macromolecular Crystallography group would like to invite both our academic and industrial users to MX beamline training sessions on the 22nd and 23rd February 2017.

The aim is to provide MX users with sufficient training to be able to operate any of the Diamond MX beamlines efficiently and to get the most benefit from their beamtime. The training will involve hands-on sessions on the suite of five operational MX beamlines (http://www.diamond.ac.uk/mx-home/) as well as optional offline software sessions.

 Sessions include:
22nd February afternoon optional session hands-on software:

Tutorial sessions:

• Â CCP4i2: scaling with Aimless, phasing and refinement (CCP4 team)
• Â Data processing with DIALS and Mosflm

• Multi-axis goniometry / Anomalous data collection
• Sample humidity control (HC1)
• I24 new end station/ In-situ diffraction
• Experiment database:Â ISPyB
• MX pipeline / autoprocessing

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The school is aimed at graduate students and post-docs with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, or materials science who may have no prior knowledge of how to use neutron beams to study materials. Undergraduate students, professors and other researchers are welcome as well. The curriculum covers a wide range of scientific areas, such as magnetism, industrial alloys, and thin films, and will incorporate both lectures and experimental training.

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Early registration deadline is Feb 28, 2017.

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For more information, including the list of topics included in the program, Â please visit the school webpage:Â http://cins.ca/ss2017/

Taking advantage of the facilities at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and Institut Laue Langevin, this one week theoretical and practical course will cover both basics and applications of small-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle neutron scattering on biomacromolecular solutions.

More information, including the application requirements, can be found at: http://meetings.embo.org/event/17-small-angle-scattering

Application deadline is 15th June 2017.

This training course aimed at providing a solid background in symmetry and group theory to students and scientists working on crystalline materials.

The training course will span five full days, from 6 to 10 March, 2017. The program is essentially the same as that of the previous training courses.

Exercises proposed during the whole course will be an integral part of the course: participants are requested to actively take part in solving the proposed exercises. Evening sessions are also proposed for discussion, practicals, solution to the exercises, questions and answers.

Didactic material will be distributed before and during the lectures and also made available in electronic form.

Monday, 6 March

• Matrix algebra
• Abstract algebra and the notion of group
• Introduction to crystallographic symmetry and lattices
• Evening: welcome reception

Tuesday, 7 March

• Morphological symmetry
• Stereographic projection, with exercises
• Crystallographic point groups and geometric crystal classes
• Symmetry elements with a translational component (screw axes and glide planes)
• Introduction to space groups: basic notions and the Hermann-Mauguin symbolism
• Graphical construction of space groups
• Evening (20:00-23:00): on-demand practicals, questions & answers optional session

Wednesday, 8 March

• Practicals on the graphical construction of space groups
• Metric tensor and applications
• Matrix representation of symmetry operations
• Change of axial settings and alternative settings of space groups
• Evening (20:00-23:00): on-demand practicals, questions & answers optional session

Thursday, 9 March

• Normalizers
• Chirality
• Wyckoff positions, Wyckoff sets
• Factor groups, symmorphic groups
• Crystallographic orbits
• Evening (20:00-23:00): on-demand practicals, questions & answers optional session

Friday, 10 March

• Reciprocal lattice and systematic absences
• Group-subgroup relations
• Structure-substructure relations and applications to displacive phase transitions

Coffee break will be served at 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Lunch break will be from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Language

The official language of the training course is Japanese. No simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

Venue

The training course will held at the seminar hall of the 4th building of KEK, Tsukuba campus.

Lecturer

Prof. Massimo Nespolo, Université de Lorraine, France (on behalf of MaThCryst)

Local Organizing Committee

Dr. Maki Okube, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Prof. Takashi Kamiyama, KEK
Prof. Noriyuki Igarashi, KEK

Registration and accommodation

Details are available at the this address.

Data Collection and Structure Solving: A Practical Course in Macromolecular X-ray Diffraction Measurement

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The aim of the RapiData course is to educate and train young scientists in data collection and processing methods at synchrotron beamlines, using state-of-the-art software and instrumentation

The course will comprise hands-on experiments at the SSRL beamlines, software tutorials, and lectures on the following topics:

• Specimen preparation, tactics in data collection
• X-ray light sources
• X-ray detectors
• Data reduction
• Structure solving by MAD, SAD and Molecular replacement
• Complementary methods (spectroscopy and small angle scattering)

May 6â€"7, 2017: Optional Pre-Course
May 8â€"12, 2017: Work­shop

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Con­tent Pre-Course

(Optional for expe­ri­enced par­tic­i­pants)

• Intro­duc­tion to elec­tron tomog­ra­phy and Seri­alEM
• Linux
• Data pro­cess­ing with IMOD and eTomo

Con­tent Work­shop

• Immer­sion freez­ing for cryo-electron tomog­ra­phy
• High pres­sure freez­ing and CEMO­VIS
• Cryo-CLEM
• Low-dose data col­lec­tion with Seri­alEM
• Direct elec­tron detec­tors
• Cryo-STEM tomog­ra­phy
• Pro­cess­ing of low-dose tilt series with IMOD
• Mod­el­ling and inter­pre­ta­tion of cryo-electron tomog­ra­phy data
• Subto­mo­gram aver­ag­ing with PEET

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