The 2016 SLAC Crystallization Course

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to provide participants with hands-on experience of a variety of crystal growth methods for obtaining high quality crystals for synchrotron and XFELs sources. The course will address both conventional and non-conventional methods in protein crystal growth. Optimization methods will include application of oils, novel nucleating agents, detergents, crystallization in lipid cubic phase, the use of injectors, acoustic droplet ejection and more. Introductory lectures will precede the hands-on tutorials planned for the course. Time for discussions and informal meetings with the tutors is scheduled.

All students are encouraged to bring their own specimens.

The Australian Synchrotron and Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand (SCANZ) are pleased to announce the Australasian Crystallography School 2016.Â

This school is intended for PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers wishing to develop their theoretical and practical skills in structure determination by X-ray crystallography.

The course will combine lectures by expert crystallographers with intensive hands-on computer-based practical sessions to provide a thorough introduction to the theory and practise of X-ray crystal structure determination.Â

It is open to people from institutions within Australia and New Zealand; although selected participants from overseas may also be considered (numbers will be limited).

SCANZ student members may apply online for consideration for Maslen scholarships as well as the crystal school.

HERCULES is a European course for PhD students and young researchers using Neutrons and Synchrotron Radiation for applications in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Hard & Soft Condensed Matter.

   The 1-month school includes lectures (60%), hands-on practicals and tutorials at partner institutes (DESY and European XFEL in Hamburg, Ellettra and FERMI in Trieste, ESRF, ILL in Grenoble, Soleil and LLB near Paris, SLS in Switzerland) and Grenoble Laboratories (CEA, CNRS, EMBL, IBS).

   The school includes a common part and two parallel sessions:

• Biomolecular, soft condensed matter structure & dynamics
• Physics and chemistry of condensed matter

  Â

   Why join Hercules ?

• to learn new techniques using neutron and synchrotron radiation
• to expand your theoretical and practical knowledge, not only for your present research but for your scientific career
• to experiment these techniques on world-class instruments & beamlines
• to build a network of relations with fellow young researchers and experienced teachers from all around the World

Deadline for application:Â Â 31 October 2015

Bursaries/reduced costs: a limited number of bursaries will be available either to reduce registration fees or cover travel costs.

Common Lectures:

• Interaction of X-rays and neutrons with matter (absorption, elastic and inelastic interactions, ...)
• Sources (neutron, synchrotron, XFEL)
• Detectors
• Optics &instrumentation
• Diffraction (single crystal, powder..)
• Scattering (elastic, inelastic..)
• Spectroscopy
• Imaging (Absorption, coherent,..)
• etc.
  

Session A: Applications to Biomolecular, Soft Condensed matter, Structure and Dynamics

• Protein structure and dynamics
• Studies in solutions
• Partially ordered systems
• Membranes, fibres and muscles
• Crystallography of viruses and ribosomes
• Structural genomics
• Biomedical applications (imaging, therapy)
• Time-resolved and ultra-fast X-ray science
• Biology with 4th generation sources
• etc.
  

Session B: Applications to Physics and Chemistry of Condensed Matter

• Neutron and X-ray (and UV and IR) spectroscopies
• X-ray reflectivity and diffraction of nano systems
• Single crystal and powder diffraction
• Coherent imaging and tomography
• Neutron and X-ray magnetic scattering
• Polarized X-rays and neutrons
• FEL and ultra fast X-ray science
  
• etc.

Topics

Plenary Lectures

Microsymposia

MS3. From Nature to Advanced Materials: Structure Characterization at the Nanoscale

MS4. New Topics in Crystal Growth Research

MS5. Nanostructures and Nanoscale Phenomena

MS6. Crystal Chemistry of Inorganic Compounds for the Understanding of Their Properties and Stability

MS7. Imaging Biomolecular Machines in Action through Cryo-Electron Diffraction and Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Second joint Diamond-CCP4 MX workshop for graduate students, postdocs and early career scientists.

All aspects of structure solution will be covered during the workshop, from data collection through to phasing, refinement and validation.

• Lectures and tutorials will be delivered by experts in the field
• Two days of data collection time will be provided at Diamond's excellent MX beamlines
• You will be able to work alongside world-leading scientists and methods developers on your own projects
• All costs apart from travel will be covered

XXIII Users' Meeting.

 The ultimate aspiration of biology is to provide a comprehensive picture, over time and space, of the myriad of relationships between molecular structure, function and organization within bio-systems with increasing complexity level, ranging from single molecules to cells. Towards this aim, integrative approaches, which exploit state-of-the-art nano and sub-nano scale spatial resolution and unprecedented chemical sensitivity and selectivity, are required. The goal of this thematic workshop is to bring together biophysicists and biologists with scientists involved in the development of cutting-edge synchrotron-based and state-of-the art benchtop microscopies. The need for integrating the cluster of multidisciplinary synchrotron radiation based techniques with the newest laboratory approaches will be emphasized, focusing on their synergic interplay in the context of life-science.

BSR is a unique forum to discuss the novel possibilities of synchrotrons and X-ray lasers and to promote their applications to challenging biological problems.

This meeting provides a forum for scientists involved in research and development on synchrotron and free electron laser sources to come together with a broad community of biologists, with the ambition to make the best use of the most advanced infrastructures in structural biology. Possible applications range from atomic-resolution and time-resolved structures of biological macromolecules, medium resolution images of the largest molecular complexes in the living word, and cellular and sub-cellular structures.

Scientists at all possible career levels are invited to this meeting â€" ranging from graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and principal investigators both from academia and industry. There will be ample opportunities for individual presentations.

Featuring five parallel workshops representing a wide range of research interests, the Diamond Synchrotron Radiation User Meeting offers opportunities to hear about the latest in synchrotron research and technique developments, along with the chance to network with colleagues from Diamond and the synchrotron user community.

Workshops
• Current Issues in Energy Research
• MX and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)
• PDF Analysis: The Local Point of View of Materials Development
• Soft X-ray Full-field Imaging and Scanning Microscopy
• Transition Metal Oxides, Superconductivity and Interfaces

The Diamond Light Source Macromolecular Crystallography group would like to invite both our academic and industrial users to MX beamline training sessions on the 15th -16th July 2015.

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:

15th July, afternoon session and 16th July, morning session on MX beamlines:

• MX software: automation in data analysis
• Mini-Kappa goniometry / Anomalous data collection
• Sample humidity control (HC1) • I24 new end station/ In-situ diffraction
• Fragment screening â€" I04-1/Lab36
• Experiment database: new ISPyB

16th July afternoon optional session Hands on software:

Two tutorial sessions:

• CCP4: structure solution and model building with CCP4 (CCP4 team)
• Manual processing with iMosflm (Harry Powell)

The school will provide a systematic overview of the application of neutrons and synchrotron radiation to the structural analysis in applied materials. All relevant experimental methods will be covered in a three-day course which will be followed by a two-day practical. The practical at GEMS/DESY in Hamburg will cover various diffractometers, SAXS instruments and tomography stations. Neutron data analysis will also be practised.

This meeting provides a forum for scientists involved in research and development on synchrotron and free electron laser sources to come together with a broad community of biologists, with the ambition to make the best use of the most advanced infrastructures in structural biology. Possible applications range from atomic-resolution and time-resolved structures of biological macromolecules, medium resolution images of the largest molecular complexes in the living word, and cellular and sub-cellular structures. Scientists at all possible career levels are invited to this meeting â€" ranging from graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and principal investigators both from academia and industry. There will be ample opportunities for individual presentations.

The brightness and energy of X-ray beams are critical properties for research. Higher brightness means more X-rays can be focused onto a smaller, laser-like spot, allowing researchers to gather more data in greater detail in less time. Higher energies enable X-rays to penetrate deeper inside materials, and through a variety of in situ environments, to reveal crucial information about a material’s structure and function. The combination of high brightness and high energy allows the observationâ€"in real timeâ€"of technologically important processes. Scientists in the light source community have been developing storage ring designs (multi-bend achromat, MBA, lattices) that push closer to the ultimate diffraction limit for X-ray sources. This emerging technology will provide orders-of-magnitude improvement in brightness and coherent flux, enabling transformational advances in imaging, in studies of dynamics, and in nanometer-resolution probes utilizing the full array of powerful Xâ€"ray contrast modes, from diffraction to spectroscopy.

This workshop is being held to explore the opportunities in high-energy (>20 keV) X-ray science that will be enabled when MBA technology is implemented. Specifically, this workshop seeks to accomplish the following goals:
Â

• Define the potential high-energy X-ray characteristics of an MBA low-emittance lattice.
• Provide a forum for discussion of new science opportunities offered for high-energy X-ray science by an MBA lattice.
• Address how the current suite of high-energy beamlines can be adapted to maximize the science opportunities, and what new capabilities are needed.
• Explore the technical advances in optics, detectors, and undulators that are required for high-energy X-ray science.

Confirmed Speakers

Simon Bare, UOP (Honeywell)
Yan Gao, General Electric
Sossina Haile, Northwestern University/California Institute of Technology
Joe Hupp, Northwestern University
Jennifer Jackson, California Institute of Technology
Hyunjung Kim, Sogang University, Korea
Antonio Lanzirotti, GSECARS, University of Chicago
Robert Leheny, Johns Hopkins University
Wenbin Lin, University of Chicago
Wendy Mao, Stanford University
Conal Murray, IBM
Henning Poulsen, Technical University of Denmark
Tony Rollett, Carnegie Mellon
Uta Ruett, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Germany
Darrell Schlom, Cornell University
Oleg Shpyrko, University of California at San Diego
Matt Tirrell, University of Chicago
Peter Voorhees, Northwestern University
Mike Wasielewski, Northwestern University
Gayle Woloschak, Northwestern University

There has been a long history of a global conversation around the need for a Light Source in Africa. Starting in early August 2014, many of the participants of this conversation collectively advertised as widely as possible for nominations to the Interim Steering Committee for the African Light Source.Â

The set of nominations received were taken as constituting this Committee, which was electronically launched on the 18 August 2014, coinciding with the Furum Day of the African School of Physics, being held in Senegal.Â

The ICTMS 2015 is the biannual conference of the IntACT (International Association of Computed Tomography).

This four full day congress is dedicated to CT-Scanning for non-medical applications. The 2nd International Conference on Tomography of Materials and Structures will bring together an international group of scientists to discuss a broad range of issues related to the use of computed tomography in materials and structures and all its related topics.

• X-ray and neutron tomography acquisition hardware, software and set-ups.
• Recent advances in CT imaging.
• Case studies including applications on miscellaneous materials and structures.

Presentations will be made within 2 parallel oral sessions. Contributions from universities, government and industry are welcome.

Themes

Themes of the congress encompass, but are not limited to, the following topics:

1Â X-Ray and Neutron Tomography, acquisition hardware, software and set-up.

• 1.1 â€" Synchrotron. (Chairmen: Robert Winarski & Jan Carmeliet)
  
• 1.2 â€" Micro-CT. (Chairmen: Matthieu Boone, Jan Van den Bulcke & Adrian Sheppard)
  
• 1.3 â€" Interferometry. (Chairmen: Leslie Butler & Francesco De Carlo)
• 1.4 -Physics of X-Ray. (Chairmen: Philippe Després & Giovani Grasselli)
  

2 â€" Recent Advance in CT & Synchrotron Imaging

• 2.1 â€" Advance in reconstruction algorithms. (Chairman: Andrew Kingston) Â
  
• 2.2 â€" Geotechnic. (Chairmen : Jacques Desrues & Stephen Hall)
  
• 2.3 â€" Multi-tissue quantitative Imaging technique. (Chairmen : Eric Landis & Sabine Rolland de Roscoat)
  
• 2.4 â€" 3D imaging. (Chairmen : Dominique Bernard & Khalid Alshibi)Â
  
• 2.5 â€" Developing image analysis tools for synchrotron imaging and microscopy. (Chairmen : Xianghui Xiao & Ross Harder)

3 â€" Case studies

• 3.1 â€" Hydraulics and sediment transport. (Chairmen : William Arnott & Bernard Long)
  
• 3.2 â€" Geomaterial, Materials, Structures and Mineralogy. (Chairmen : Jean-Yves Buffière & Yosuke Higo)
  
• 3.3 â€" Wood. (Chairmen : Dominique Derome, Jan Van den Bulke & Gabor Szathmary)
  
• 3.4 â€" Sedimentology and Palaeontology. (Chairmen : Richard Ketcham & Patric Jacobs)
• 3.5 â€" Quaternary Deposits. (Chairmen : Pierre Francus & Mathieu Duchesne)Â
• 3.6 â€" Innovative ;Geotechnical Applications. (Chairmen : Jun Otani, Gioacchino Viggiani & Didier Perret)
• 3.7 â€" Rock porosity and gas sequestration. (Chairmen : Patrick Selvadurai & Michel Malo)
• 3.8 â€" Concrete & building rocks. (Chairmen : Jacques Marchand & Veerle Cnudde)
• 3.9 â€" Porous Material. (Chairmen : Nicolas Lenoir & Takafumi Sugiyama)
  
• 3.10 â€" Hydrogeology, water infiltration and pollution. (Chairmen: Richard Martel, Subhasis Ghoshal)
• 3.11 â€" Archaeology. (Chairmen : Réginald Auger & Geneviève Treyvaud)
• 3.12 â€" Biogenic sedimentary structure and dynamics: marine, fresh water, and terrestrial systems. (Chairmen : Robert Aller & Emma Michaud)
• 3.13 â€" Petroleum core analysis. (Chairmen : Mike London & Caliskan Sinan)

X-Ray Science Utilizing the Dramatic Increases in Peak and Average Brightness from Current/Planned Next Generation Accelerator Based X-Ray Sources

The importance of X-ray science across a broad range of areas in science and engineering continues to grow. The Gordon Research Conference on X-Ray Science has a long history of bringing together leading scientists at the forefront of X-ray-based science. Planned upgrades to storage rings and ever increasing capabilities of X-ray lasers drive the growth in the breadth and importance of X-ray science.

There appears to be no end in sight for the unparalleled growth in performance of accelerator-based X-ray sources. New developments in experimental techniques continue to push into uncharted territories in physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, and a host of applied sciences. With the balance between basic and applied science constantly evolving, the conference will provide a unique forum to exchange ideas for the further evolution of X-ray Science.

An international list of speakers will describe the latest scientific and technological achievements in X-Ray Science as well as provide a view into the future. The conference, with its strongly interdisciplinary character, provides a stimulating environment to present the latest research in poster format, engage in discussions in a friendly setting, and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. We especially encourage young scientists early in their careers steps to participate and profit from this unique forum for exchange with leading scientists in a relaxed atmosphere. Selected posters will be given the opportunity for a short talk.

The 2015 GRC on X-ray Science will again be held in conjunction with the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). The GRS (July 25-26, 2015), a two-day meeting preceding the GRC, is specifically designed for graduate students and early career researchers. The meeting offers an opportunity for young scientists to present their work to their peers. It is expected that GRS participants will participate in the subsequent GRC.

The NSLS-II will be home to three state-of-the-art beamlines for macro-molecular crystallography and life science applications of x-ray scattering. The purpose of the First Science at the ABBIX Beamlines meeting is to explore and discuss scientific areas and opportunities on which early operation of the beamlines could capitalize.

These three beamlines comprise the ABBIX (Advanced Beamlines for Biological Investigations with X-rays) Project, sponsored by the NIH, and are currently under construction at NSLS-II:

• The Frontier Macromolecular Crystallography (FMX) Beamline is optimized to address microbeam applications.
• The Highly Automated Macromolecular Crystallography (AMX) Beamline is optimized for highly automated throughput.
• The High Brightness X-ray Scattering for Life Sciences (LIX) Beamline will offer multiple modes of study using X-ray scattering.

• Construction will conclude by the end of 2015 and then commissioning will start. During the commissioning period, there will be opportunities to perform early experiments before the general user programs of the beamlines commence in 2016.

  Plenary Session

  • Scientific research that the ABBIX beam lines will address
  • Facilities updates on scientific capabilities at ABBIX beam lines
  • Update on the Life Science and Biomedical Technology Research Resource (LSBR)
    

  Parallel Session

  • Two parallel sessions focusing on macromolecular crystallography and X-ray scatteringÂ
  • Selected presentations from the meeting participants

  Confirmed Speakers:

  Karen Allen (Boston Univ)
  Martin Caffrey (Trinity College Dublin)
  Richard Gillilan (Cornell Univ)
  Wayne Hendrickson (Columbia Univ)
  André Hoelz (California Inst Tech)
  Shenping Liu (Pfizer)
  Lee Makowski (Northeastern Univ)
  David Ostrov (Univ of Florida)
  Anna Marie Pyle (Yale Univ)
  Christian Riekel (ESRF)
  Thomas Schneider (EMBL-Hamburg)
  John Tainer (Scripps Research Inst)