A decade of user operation on the macromolecular crystallography MAD beamline ID14-4 at the ESRF

The improvement of the X-ray beam quality achieved on ID14-4 by the installation of new X-ray optical elements is described

The ID23-2 structural biology microfocus beamline at the ESRF

Beamline ID23-2, the first dedicated and highly automated high-throughput monochromatic macromolecular crystallography microfocus beamline, is described

Detecting transient protein–protein interactions by X-ray absorption spectroscopy: The cytochrome c6-photosystem I complex

6 pages, 1 table, 3 fiures, 1 appendix.-- Edited by Peter Brzezinski.Reliable analysis of the functionality of metalloproteins demands a highly accurate description of both the redox state and geometry of the metal centre, not only in the isolated metalloprotein but also in the transient complex with its target. Here, we demonstrate that the transient interaction between soluble cytochrome c6 and membrane-embedded photosystem I involves subtle changes in the heme iron, as inferred by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). A slight shift to lower energies of the absorption edge of Fe2+ in cytochrome c6 is observed upon interaction with photosystem I. This work constitutes a novel application of XAS to the analysis of weak complexes in solution.This work was supported by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF SC- 1366), the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (AP2000-2937, BMC2003- 00458 and MAT02-01221) and the Andalusian Government (PAI, CVI-0198).Peer reviewe

Innovative insights in a plug flow microreactor for operando X-ray studies

International audienc

Innovative insights in a plug flow microreactor for operando X-ray studies

© 2013 International Union of CrystallographyDifferent solutions have been proposed over the years to optimize control of the temperature and atmosphere over a catalyst in order to reach an ideal reactor behavior. Here, a new innovative solution which aims to minimize temperature gradients along the catalyst bed is demonstrated. This was attained by focusing the infrared radiation generated from the heating elements onto the catalyst bed with the aid of an aluminium shield. This method yields a ∼0.13Kmm-1 axial temperature gradient ranging from 960 to 1173K. With the selection of appropriate capillaries, pressures of 20bar (2MPa) can be attained.The research leading to these results has been funded by the Spanish CICYT (CTQ2010-14872/BQU) and the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement No. 253445. KCC acknowledges Marie Curie Action – Intra-European Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF-253445) for a postdoctoral fellowship.Peer Reviewe