A team of researchers demonstrated that 2D porous crystalline molecular frameworks can be grown with excellent control over their morphology and homogeneity by using a custom-made microfluidic device. This approach recreates on Earth the microgravity environment of laboratories on the International Space Stations. Measurements at the NCD-SWEET beamline at the ALBA Synchrotron allowed studying crystallinity, structure and orientation of the created 2D material.
A group of researchers from France has been able to create and guide skyrmions in magnetic tracks. These nanoscale magnetic textures are promising information carriers with great potential in future data storage and processing devices. Experiments at the CIRCE-PEEM beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron enabled to image how skyrmions move along tracks written with helium ions.
A study from several Italian institutions and the ALBA Synchrotron suggest crystalline calcium carbonate as a precursor of hydroxyapatite in the process of bone formation. Since hydroxyapatite is a mineral constituting 70% of the mass of bone, these findings may have potential applications in the development of new therapeutic approaches in bone cancer. Thanks to the MISTRAL beamline at ALBA, researchers were able to create a 3D tomogram of human cells and visualize calcium depositions inside them.
A research team from the Biomedicine Institute of Valencia (IBV-CSIC) and from the CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER), in collaboration with the Universität Kaiserslautern in Germany, has studied the ATC protein, an essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of pyrimidines, the building blocks of the genetic material. The structural determination was carried out at the ESRF synchrotron and at the XALOC beamline of ALBA, devoted to macromolecular crystallography. The structural data, combined with other analysis, has allowed researchers to describe the functioning mechanism of the enzyme, opening the venue for new strategies to design herbicides and antitumoral compounds.
The user community of the ALBA Synchrotron was called to participate in a webinar session the last 30th of June. Users were able to learn about the status of the ALBA II project and how to contribute to its success. A call for new beamlines is now open. Proposals can be send until 6th of September 2021.
