When reducing materials at the nanoscale, they typically lose some of their properties. The experiments have been carried out at the CIRCE beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron.
The NCD beamline, now NCD-SWEET, devoted to Small Angle and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS, WAXS), is offering users further experimental possibilities and higher quality data.
On the 8th March 2018, the International Women's Day, Caterina Biscari, director of the ALBA Synchrotron, has been recognised as Woman Scientist 2018 by the Woman's Week Foundation. The event has been held at the Italian embassy in Madrid.
On Saturday 5th May, from 09:00 till 19:00, the ALBA Synchrotron is celebrating its Open Day. Visitors will be able to explore the facility and discover its functions and applications, as well as attending funny demonstrations, conferences and activities for all ages. Do not miss the opportunity and book your tickets!
From 26 to 28 February, the world’s largest high-tech research facilities and companies are gathering for the first time for a joint conference in Copenhagen.
Researchers from the ALBA Synchrotron and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have analysed with synchrotron light different Alzheimer's aggregates, their location and their effect in cultivated neuronal cells. Results, published in Analytical Chemistry, pave the way to better understand the development of this disease that affects more than 30 million people worldwide.
From 12th to 14th February 2018, ALBA is hosting the Coordination Board and Task Force meetings of the LEAPS Initiative, the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources.
A team of researchers from the Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián, and ALBA have demonstrated that it is possible to realize atomically-organized organic nanostructures on a magnetic substrate of a reare-earth surface alloy without altering the magnetic properties of the substrate. The results, published in the journal ACS Nano, demonstrate that by clever engineering of the magnetic substrate it is possible to attain on-surface synthesis of tailored organic nanostructures thus opening the possibilities to study and control the magnetic properties of carbon-based magnetic nanostructures such as graphene nanoribbons.
A new European-funded project starting today will enable greater cooperation between SMEs and research centres in the Spain-France border regions. Coordinated by the Basque company BihurCrystal, ALBA industrial office and BOREAS beamline are taking part in the project.
The ALBA Synchrotron, in collaboration with Manel Sabés, organizes training sessions in hospitals all over Spain addressed to medical and scientific staff. The main goal is to show how synchrotron light sources can help with medical diagnostic and analysis.
ALBA has been awarded the 1st 2017 Asepeyo prize as the best preventive practices, in the "Implementation of an integrated control system for the experiments executed at the ALBA Synchrotron".
The call for proposals for the 2018-II cycle is opened till 26 February 2018 for covering experiments from July to December 2018. Results will be published at the end of May 2018.
This installation, built in collaboration with ICN2, is unique in Catalonia and allows recycling 80% of the liquid helium consumed in ALBA for operating the superconducting magnets and for experiments at ultra-low temperatures.
Scientists from University of Isfahan in Iran have analysed in the ALBA Synchrotron how were made ancient Iranian glass objects that date back to 2.500 BC. These decorative glass pieces were excavated from the ziggurat of Chogha-Zanbil, a type of stepped pyramidal monument, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
A team of researchers from CIC Nanogune, Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMol) and ALBA have developed a pathway to control the magnetoresistance of spin valve devices based on novel lanthanide quinolone molecules. The results, published in the journal of Advanced Functional Materials, demonstrate the interface-assisted control of the sign and magnitude of magnetoresistance and highlight the importance of the interfacial molecule–metal hibridization to engineer spin-dependent macroscopic parameters in spintronic devices.
More than 150 high school students from Barcelona have visited the ALBA Synchrotron in an event aimed at fighting against stereotypes and prejudices linked to research environments. The event, which had the support of the Barcelona City Council, has been open by the first Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Mr. Gerardo Pisarello.
The European project CALIPSOplus is funding industry (SMEs) trans-national access to light sources. Call for proposals is now open for SMEs.
Researchers have proved the ability of peculiar magnetic materials to hide magnetic information and reveal it under certain conditions and at room temperature. Results have been published in Sientific Reports.
Using synchrotron light, researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the ALBA Synchrotron have demonstrated the capability of metalosomes - aggregates made of phospholipids and metal complexes - to interact with cells and release carbon monoxide in a controlled way.
From 29th November till 5th December, scientists and engineers of the ALBA Synchrotron visit diferent hich schools in Barcelona to fight against stereotypes and prejudices linked to research environments. The STEM Preparades project, which has the support of the Barcelona City Council, will end next 12th December when the students visit the scientific infrastructure.
CALIPSOplus and SINE2020 organized their first Industrial Offices Workshop and Networking meeting, held on November 15 and 16 in Sitges (Barcelona). People from 30 facilities around Europe, including the ALBA Synchrotron, participated in the meeting.
A team led by researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) has unveiled the mechanism of action of two drugs, FR60 and JNI18, which cure 100% of mice with sleeping sickness, also called African trypanosomiasis. Using synchrotron light at the ALBA Synchrotron, they have observed how these drugs perfectly stacked on the Trypanosoma brucei’s DNA, the parasite that causes the disease. Blocking and inflicting specific damage on its DNA, the parasite cannot reproduce and finally dies after 4-5 days. Scientists conclude drugs are effective potential treatments against sleeping sickness, which threats over 55 million people in sub-Saharan Africa countries. These drugs remain patent-free to gain interest among pharmaceutical labs.
On November 15th 2017, the ALBA Synchrotron participated in the 31st international EFFoST conference in Sitges. Caterina Biscari, ALBA’s director, explained the different applications that synchrotron light has for the food science and industry.
19 light sources facilities across Europe, including ALBA, gathered to launch the LEAPS initiative and signed an agreement to strengthen their collaboration. Carmen Vela and Arcadi Navarro have joined the ALBA Synchrotron in this event.
Researchers have demonstrated the "electronically cubic conditions" and the Jeff = 1/2 ground state for Ru in α-RuCl3, a pre-requisite for Kitaev Physics and the possibility for studying in this material Majorana fermion excitations. This work has been published as a Physical Review B Rapid communication and editor's suggestion.
Following an open call, 9 students from SESAME members have been awarded training Fellowships to work in European light source laboratories in 2018.
From October 8th to 13th , the ALBA Synchrotron is hosting ICALEPCS conference, where more than 600 experts from worldwide particle accelerators, synchrotron light and laser facilities or telescopes showcase the latest developments of hardware and software to control large research facilities.
With the aim of cooperating in the development of scientific research and technological innovation activities. ALBA receives more than 200 CSIC researchers per year, performing 20% of the experiments conducted in the facility.
An international team has unraveled details never described before about how the malaria parasite acts after invading the red blood cells. This highlight has been possible thanks to two advanced microscope techniques combination: X-ray fluorescence microscopy and soft X-rays tomography, this one conducted in ALBA Synchrotron. Infected red blood cells image analysis offer new information that could yield new drugs design against malaria, an illness that claims over 400.000 lives each year.
The ALBA Synchrotron has published its annual report. This document includes scientific results, technology reviews and facts & figures of the facility in 2016.
From 8th September to 16th October, undergraduate students interested in doing an internship in the ALBA Synchrotron can submit a proposal.
A team of researchers from ALBA and ICN2 have developed novel graphene-based antiferromagnetic multilayer structures featuring robust magnetic properties. These results, published in Nature Communications, demonstrate that single-layer graphene spaced magnetic thin film structures present perpendicular antiferromagnetic coupling together with a number of properties that are well suited for applications.
Last Friday, students doing their PhD at the ALBA Synchrotron presented the status of their projects in areas such as the application of synchrotron light as well as accelerators development.
Again this year, the ALBA Synchrotron and the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera are organizing a course where teachers can expand their knowledge of synchrotron light and its properties. The course, recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya, will take place in November. Registration is open now.
From the 2nd of October 2017, Edgar Aigner is appointed as new head of the Administration division at the ALBA Synchrotron. He takes over the outstanding work done by Mariano Sazatornil, who has been in ALBA since its very beginning.
Using ALBA Synchrotron's X-ray microscope, researchers have obtained 3D images of cells full of tiny cholesterol crystals. The aim is to study how these crystals, which are related to arterial obstruction, are formed.
From 8th September to 2nd October, undergraduate students interested in doing an internship in the ALBA Synchrotron can submit a proposal.
Using ALBA's synchrotron light, researchers have been able to visualise deformation (sound) waves in crystals and measured the effect on nanomagnetic elements. The study, published in Nature Communications, uses the accelerators' time structure to record time-resolved images with a resolution of 80 picoseconds. This methodology offers a new approach for analysing dynamic strains in other research fields: nanoparticles, chemical reactions, crystallography, etc.
Using ALBA's synchrotron light, researchers have shed light on the origin of the magnetism arising at carbon/non-magnetic 3d,5d metal interfaces. These results may allow the manipulation of spin ordering at metallic surfaces using electro-optical signals, with potential applications in computing, sensors, and other multifunctional magnetic devices.
Researchers from the University of Oviedo, the University of Porto and the ALBA Synchrotron have visualized with synchrotron light the motion of vortex-antivortex pairs along strip magnetic domains in magnetic structures, what represents an interesting discovery that could have applications for memory and logic devices.
ICMAB researchers lead a study on the toxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles based on the analysis of specific genetic markers linked to nanotoxicity in the C. elegans organisms. Part of the experiment, published in the journal Nanotoxicology, has been carried out at the ALBA Synchrotron, in its infrared light MIRAS beamline. The study suggests that nanoparticles can be captured by intestinal cells in their interior, they can interact with cell lipids, and they can activate cellular mechanisms of oxidative stress.
X-ray microdiffraction experiments were done in the MSPD beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron to determine the crystalline structure of chladniite.
The President of the Catalan Government, Mr. Carles Puigdemont, has visited today the ALBA Synchrotron, led by Caterina Biscari, director of the scientific facility.
On October 10th 2017, the ALBA Synchrotron is organizing a seminar addressed to companies to inform about the applications of synchrotron light for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biomedical sector. The event will be held at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), in Madrid.
The Spanish Government Delegate in Catalonia, Enric Millo, has visited today ALBA's facilities. During the visit, he has been accompanied by the director of ALBA Synchrotron, Caterina Biscari, the ex-chairman of the Executive Commission of ALBA, Ramon Pascual, and the Head of the Administration Division, Mariano Sazatornil.
The scientific director of the ALBA Synchrotron will be the new chair of the council of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) for the period 2018-2019. This facility gathers 22 partner nations between member and scientific associates. Prof. García Aranda is the first Spanish who holds this position.
ALBA Synchrotron and the Metropolitan Government of Daejeon (South Korea) have signed an agreement to explore future collaborations for the exchange and cooperation in scientific activities.
The call for proposals for the 2018-I cycle is opened till 7th September 2017. These experiments will be developed from January to June 2018, except for XALOC beamline that covers the full year for BAG proposals (Block Allocation Group).
From July 3 to 17, students from the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) who are interested in doing internships in the ALBA Synchrotron can apply to one of the 4 available positions.
The director of the ALBA Synchrotron has claimed an increase in public investment for R & D.
