Science Highlights

Crystals webapp Installed

The [crystals](http://bl1231.als.lbl.gov/crystals) server (an Apache Tomcat webapp) has been installed. The crystals webapp will allow you to upload an excel spreadsheet, containing a list of samples, to the SIBYLS beamline for use with DOMO. The spreadsheet will be automatically converted to an XML file and will become available to you via Blu-Ice once you start…
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Yeast Topoisomerase II bound to DNA

As recently [reported](http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/science/sci_archive/160topoII.html) in the ALSNews: > “The veil has finally been lifted on an enzyme that is critical to the process of DNA transcription and replication and is a prime target of antibacterial and anticancer drugs. Researchers at Berkeley Lab and the University of California, Berkeley, have produced the first three-dimensional structural images of…
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The Wonderful World of Early Computing

[Brief but interesting history of early computers](http://www.neatorama.com/2008/01/25/the-wonderful-world-of-early-computing/) > On September 9, 1945, U.S. Navy officer Grace Hopper found the first computer “bug”: a moth stuck between the relays on the Harvard Mark II. She noted it on her log as the “first actual case of bug being found.” Though the term “bug” had meant a…
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The Protein Data Bank now requires your experimental data

The Protein Data Bank is requiring, effective February 1, 2008 (i.e. tomorrow), that structure factor amplitudes/intensities for crystal structures [must be deposited](http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/static.do?p=general_information/news_publications/news/news_2007.html#20071204) along with model coordinates. So if you need some structure factors to go along with your PDBs we can help you out. Apply for beamtime via the red “[GENERAL USER PROPOSAL](http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/quickguide/independinvest.html)” link in…
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New DOMO Sample Dewar Lid

We’ve installed a sweet new blue anodized aluminum air dam on the pneumatic lid for the DOMO sample dewar (with color coordinated electric blue CPU fans). The air dam helps to draw off frozen ice crystals from the air above the liquid nitrogen when the dewar lid is open. This will hopefully prevent the ice…
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Detergents that may be useful for your SAXS experiment

[Quen Cheng](mailto:QJCheng@lbl.gov) in the Cooper lab has done a nice set of [experiments](http://bl1231.als.lbl.gov/saxs_protocols/saxs_detergents.php) to address the usefulness of various readily available detergents for improving the behavior proteins in SAXS experiments.

Publications in 2007

At least 18 publications were made possible by the SIBYLS beamline in 2007 and have been added to our [publications](http://bl1231.als.lbl.gov/publications/index.php) page. We are very pleased that the PX and SAXS endstations have been so useful to so many researchers doing such varied work. We hope that 2008 will be even more productive. If you know…
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DOMO Does Remote Too

DOMO used to collect data remotely for the first time.