Macromolecular crystallography and biology at the Linac Coherent Light Source

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) has significantly impacted the field of biology by providing advanced capabilities for probing the structure and dynamics of biological molecules with high precision. The ultrashort coherent X-ray pulses from the LCLS have enabled ultrafast, time-resolved, seri...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sandra Mous, Mark S. Hunter, Frédéric Poitevin, Sébastien Boutet, Leland B. Gee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Union of Crystallography 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.iucr.org/paper?S1600577525002735
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) has significantly impacted the field of biology by providing advanced capabilities for probing the structure and dynamics of biological molecules with high precision. The ultrashort coherent X-ray pulses from the LCLS have enabled ultrafast, time-resolved, serial femtosecond crystallography that is inaccessible at conventional synchrotron light sources. Since the facility's founding, scientists have captured detailed insights into biological processes at atomic resolution and fundamental timescales. The ability to observe these processes in real time and under conditions closely resembling their natural state is transforming our approach to studying biochemical mechanisms and developing new medical and energy applications. This work recounts some of the history of the LCLS, advances in biological research enabled by the LCLS, key biological areas that have been impacted and how the LCLS has helped to unravel complex biological phenomena in these fields.
ISSN:1600-5775