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)

The school will be held in Utting/Ammersee and Garching/Munich, Germany, in cooperation with the Röntgen-Ã...ngström-Cluster (http://www.rontgen-angstrom.eu) and the BMBF (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Germany).

The Winter School will provide a systematic overview of the application of neutrons and synchrotron radiation to the structural analysis of materials. The school starts with the fundamentals of synchrotron radiation and neutron scattering. The focus is subsequently shifted towards neutron techniques and their application to specific problems in materials science. Different classes of modern functional materials are presented and it will be shown how neutron scattering, on the one hand, and synchrotron radiation, on the other hand, can be used to explore the microscopic mechanisms that are responsible for their properties. While fundamental aspects are dominating, application related phenomena will be covered as well.
After a two-day theoretical course in Utting/Ammersee the participants will spend two days at the FRM II in Garching (near Munich) doing practicals. The fifth day of the school offers further talks and a final discussion. All relevant experimental methods will be covered.

Registration deadline has been extended to December 8th, 2016

Major research areas covered at the conference include:

• THz spectroscopy applications in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Medicine
• THz imaging
• THz near-field microscopy
  
• Ultrafast dynamics and Time-resolved spectroscopy
  
• Ultrafast measurement techniques
  
• THz sources and detectors
  
• Advances in THz quantum cascade lasers
  
• Nanoscale THz devices
  
• THz communications
  
• THz industrial applications
  
• Novel THz devices, instruments and techniques
  
• THz waveguides
  
• THz metamaterials and plasmonic devices

The 22nd meeting of the International Collaboration on Advanced Neutron Sources (ICANS XXII) will be held on the 27th -31st March 2017 in Oxford, England.

For more details, visit: Â http://icansxxii.iopconfs.org/home

The purpose of the workshop is to bring together the best scientists from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and synchrotron experts and see how the most strategic fields for the UAEÂ can be addressed through synchrotron science. UAE scientists will include both national and non-national speakers. International top synchrotron experts will give a talk at the event.

One of the main points will be to understand what the requirements of the UAE scientists are in terms of synchrotron research (what types of beamlines, techniques, etc.). Once these are defined, we will try to understand what would be the best option in terms of costs and benefits for the UAE.

User-dedicated Microsymposia 8th February

UDM1. Advances and new science with resonant inelastic X-ray scattering ([email protected])

UDM 2. Quantitative coherent X-ray diffraction imaging ([email protected])

UDM 3. Operando structural studies in Materials Science ([email protected])

Tutorials 6th February

• T1. Social Media: a new challege for communication science?
• T2. MX-BAG meeting
• T3. XRF Analysis with PyMca
• T4. X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy: tutorials, data analysis and hands-on-practicals
  
• T5. Coherence reconstruction Software including hands-on practicals
• T6. Volume image analysis of tomographic data
• T7. Overview of SAXS/WAXS Data reduction and analysis using WiSAXS
• T8. Nuclear resonance application including hands-on-practicals

This one month course, coordinated by the Université Grenoble Alpes, is designed to provide training for students, postdoctoral and senior scientists from European and non-European universities and laboratories, in the field of Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation for condensed matter studies (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Geosciences, Industrial applications). It includes lectures, practicals and tutorials, visits of Large Facilities and a poster session (each participant puts up a poster about her/his thesis or research topic for a day).

• PART I: BASIC METHODS AND INSTRUMENTS :
  (This part is common for all the participants - 1.5 weeks)
• PART II is divided into two parallel specialized sessions (3.5 weeks) :
  • Session A: PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF CONDENSED MATTER
  • Session B: BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS

  The course is held in Grenoble at the Polygone Scientifique Louis Néel. This is close to partner institutions where practicals and tutorials will take place:

  • European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
  • European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)
  • Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
  • Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL)
  • Institut Nanosciences & Cryogénie (CEA)
  • Institut Néel (CNRS)

  A special seven days programme is included , in a partner institution among European Large instruments, either at:

  • DESY and European XFEL in Hambourg, Germany
  • Elettra and FERMI in Trieste, Italy
  • Swiss Light Source / Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland
  • SOLEIL (St Aubin, France) and Laboratoire Léon Brillouin (CEA Saclay, France)

  The language of the course is English.

The 2017 EMU (European Mineralogical Union) School

The school will cover different multidisciplinary aspects related to the study of natural fibres and is thus aimed at students with a background in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Material Science, Medicine, Physics who strive for working in the field of mineral fibre and asbestos and want to acquire both a strong background in this specific area of environmental protection and a multidisciplinary open vision of the asbestos related problems.

The following topics will be covered:

• Crystal structure and crystallography, occurrence of mineral fibres, and natural occurring asbestos
• experimental methods for the investigation of mineral fibres: optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, iron spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation based techniques
• Surface and bio-chemical properties of mineral fibres
• Illustration of asbestos related diseases and bio-chemical mechanism inducing toxicity effects in the human body
• In vitro and in vivo tests to assess cyto/genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of mineral fibre
• Dissolution and biodurability of mineral fibres
• Epidemiological studies of asbestos related diseases
• Genetic factors, mutations and toxicity of mineral fibres

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Shedding Light on a New Horizon

Organized by the Diamond Light Source Macromolecular Crystallography group.

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 beam-time. 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.

20th July afternoon optional session "Hands on software":

• CCP4
• DIALS

21st July, MX beamlines and data room sessions:

• MX software: automation in data analysis
• Mini-Kappa goniometry / Anomalous data collection
• Introduction to VMX-i
• I24 new end station/ In-situ diffraction
• Fragment screening â€" I04-1/Lab36
• Experiment database: new ISPyB

Registration is free-of-charge with lunch provided on the 20th and 21st July, and accommodation and dinner for the night of July 20th.

Main Conference Topics

• Conservation and Alteration
• New Methods and Analytical Processes
• Paleontology and paleoenvironment
• Technical Art History and Archaeometry at the nano-, micro-, and macro scale