Approximately 1,700 scientists visit SSRL annually to conduct experiments in broad disciplines including life sciences, materials, environmental science, and accelerator physics. Science highlights featured here and in our monthly newsletter, Headlines, increase the visibility of user science as well as the important contribution of SSRL in facilitating basic and applied scientific research. Many of these scientific highlights have been included in reports to funding agencies and have been picked up by other media. Users are strongly encouraged to contact us when exciting results are about to be published. We can work with users and the SLAC Office of Communication to develop the story and to communicate user research findings to a much broader audience.
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Design of Novel Protein Cages
Some proteins can form complex cage structures that can trap, hold, catalyze, and release small molecular and atomic cargo based on environmental signals. These protein cages are made of a collection of identical monomer proteins self-assembled into a symmetric conformation.
Shedding Light on Photoisomerization: Electrostatic Control of Excited State Reaction Pathways within Proteins
Organisms including microbes, plants, and animals can interpret light as a signal for action. While this is a fundamental and important process, the mechanism still holds mystery. How are photons converted into molecular signals? At the most basic step, a light-sensing molecule, a chromophore, undergoes a conformational change, an isomerization, when it encounters a photon.
Discovery of Topological Weyl Fermion Lines and Drumhead Surface States in a Room Temperature Magnet
Physicists have been interested in crystalline materials where the quantum mechanical behavior of electrons is governed by topology, so-called topological quantum matter. Recently the community has been particularly excited about crystals which additionally exhibit magnetism, i.e. topological quantum magnets. What new topological behavior might such magnets exhibit?
Electronic Nematicity without Magnetism in FeSe
In superconducting materials, electron clouds can align into a specific order termed nematicity, a word taken from a root meaning string-like and previously used for alignment of molecules in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Most iron-based high temperature superconductors (FeSCs) exhibit nematic order and magnetic order in conjunction with superconducting behavior.
A Spider Toxin Catches a Sodium Channel Involved in Pain Perception in Action
Nerve, muscle, and heart cells are activated by the influx of sodium ions into the cells causing an increase in positive charge inside cells. In a carefully regulated system, sodium passes across cell membranes via a variety of sodium ion channels, which open during activation and close when not active. Nav1.7 is a type of sodium channel that has an important role in pain sensation.
Direct Imaging of Metal Additive Manufacturing Processes
3D printing is revolutionizing the manufacture of products, promising fast and inexpensive ways to make quick prototypes, small batch parts, and unique pieces exactly to specifications. The uses for 3D printed metal range from specialized car parts to custom medical prosthetics.
Structure and Functional Binding Epitopes of V-domain Ig Suppressor of T-Cell Activation (VISTA)
Implicated in human cancers including skin, prostate, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, endometrial, and lung, the protein called VISTA (V-domain Ig Su
Structure of the Full-length Clostridium difficile Toxin B
The bacterium Clostridium difficile (often called C. diff) can cause severe intestinal infections, responsible for about 500,000 cases and 29,000 deaths in the United States per year. While infections are more often found in ill and elderly people, infection rates are increasing in young and healthy people. The bacterium makes and secretes two related toxins, TcdA and TcdB.
Unveiling the Orbital Density Waves in MnP
The field of superconductivity was surprised by the discovery of a manganese-based superconductor, published in 2015. Because the electrons in manganese do not form couplets called Cooper pairs, it was not thought possible that manganese could have traits of superconductivity. This discovery necessitates a revised explanation for superconductivity, one not requiring Cooper pairing.
Quantification of Heterogeneous Degradation in Li-ion Batteries
The development of better rechargeable batteries for consumer electronics and electric vehicles is difficult due to the complex interplay of many chemical, spatial, and temporal factors.
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We can work with users and the SLAC Office of Communication to develop the story and to communicate user research findings to a much broader audience.