Canadian Light Source (CLS) – Page 2

Better batteries for implantable medical devices

2025/06/032025/06/06

With electric vehicles, the challenge for battery makers is straightforward: make batteries that can hold more energy, so the vehicles they power can go further on each charge.

However, for companies that make rechargeable batteries for implantable medical devices – think pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators – safety trumps all else. Yes, these batteries need to last, but that lifespan cannot come at the expense of a patient’s health.

For that reason, the batteries currently used in these devices have anodes that operate at a higher voltage than ones in regular lithium-ion batteries. The anode is the component inside a battery that releases lithium ions and electrons when power is being drawn, and that takes up ions and electrons during charging. In most lithium-ion batteries, the anode is made of graphite.

“They’re amazing batteries, but the energy density is pretty small,” says Eric McCalla, an associate professor in McGill University’s Department of Chemistry. “As a result, there are some applications for which they simply don’t hold enough energy.”

McCalla and his team recently made a breakthrough that could change that. In an earlier study, the group demonstrated that adding a small amount of an element called neodymium to the anode resulted in a whopping 20% increase in the battery’s energy density. In this new study, they used the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to explore why such a small amount of the element could yield such a large increase in energy storage.

“What we think is happening is that when you add a small amount of these really big ions it doesn’t just disrupt the atoms around it, it disrupts atoms over a large distance,” says McCalla. The CLS’s HXMA beamline enabled them to see that the element they added disturbed the entire structure of the anode — even at such small amounts.

“They (neodymium ions) do a lot of local damage, which actually turns out to have benefit,” says McCalla. “Locally we damage the structure, but in a way that it opens up some other spots for lithium to go in and out (thereby increasing the battery’s energy density”.

In parallel to the experiments, other researchers on the team used computer modelling to calculate how much easier it is for lithium to move when the neodymium ions are nearby. “That really locked down this mechanism, where we’re able to make new sites where lithium wants to go.”

Being able to do their experiment “in situ” at the HXMA beamline was critical, says McCalla. “We had the battery running while we were running the experiment, so we didn’t have to take the cell apart and scrape the sample out and hope that it was stable in air,” he says. In previous attempts, the researchers found that the material degraded when it was removed from the battery. “Being able to do it in the battery, doing the measurement right on the beamline, that made all the difference.”

In this study, McCalla and his team were focused on increasing the amount of energy a battery can hold without compromising safety. Now they’re shifting their focus to increasing the battery lifespan. They identified some instability related to the electrolyte, which they think could impact its long-term use. “There’s definitely continued work that needs to happen, to make these commercially viable. But already the gains that we’ve made show that the energy (produced by the new type of battery) would enable new or different medical applications.”

Stopping infections before they can start

2025/05/202025/05/20

As concerns about waning antibiotic effectiveness grow, researchers are using unique tools to search for new ways to keep bacteria from causing infections in both humans and animals.

“We’re really interested in finding out how bacteria make their connection with the host cells they’re going to infect,” says Dr. Peter Davies, professor of biochemistry and former Canada Research Chair in protein engineering at Queen’s University. Davies and his colleagues used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to visualize the structure of long, thin proteins called adhesins, which most bacteria have, and which bind to a sugar molecule on the surface of a cell. Once attached, “the bacteria start to form a colony and then eventually a biofilm. This is how they get started in an infection,” he explains.

The goal of the research, recently published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology, is to find a way to interrupt that attachment process — to “put something in there that would fool them (bacteria) and not allow them to bind to the host cells.”

With the help of an artificial-intelligence (AI) program that can create a three-dimensional model of a protein, says Davies, “we’ve learned how to recognize those parts of the protein that stick to the surface of cells” and begin causing infections. The researchers noted one spot on the protein that attaches to a simple sugar called fucose found on human blood cells and other organisms.

Special imaging at the CLS – called crystallography — confirmed the model and revealed a possible way to inhibit bacteria from binding to cells. In this research, Davies and colleagues were studying a bacterium called Aeromonas hydrophila, which can affect people who are immunocompromised.

Adding more fucose in with the bacterium disrupts the binding process “because they’re confused by all of this free fucose floating around,” says Davies. The protein sensors “that are looking out for the sugar on our cells” are unable to bind “because we’re flooding the market with fucose.”

Closing the door on colds and flu

2025/05/132025/05/13

First-of-its-kind structural data about protein family is key for drug discovery

New research by scientists at the University of Toronto and the Structural Genomics Consortium has deepened our understanding of how viruses like the flu, common cold, and COVID-19 get into cells in human airways.

Using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, the researchers identified for the first time the crystal structures of a human protein (TMPRSS11D) that viruses use as a doorway into our body.

Understanding how viruses use our proteins to gain entry into our cells will help researchers develop better ways to stop infections in their tracks.

“This paper is really the stepping stone for building out more effective antiviral agents,” says lead author Bryan Fraser, a University of Toronto postdoctoral researcher at the Structural Genomics Consortium.

“We’re using the structure-based information that we’ve gained here to guide us in improving molecules that we hope will become drug candidates.”

Knowing the crystal structure of this “doorway” protein, says Fraser, is key to finding helpful drugs to stop coronavirus and influenza viruses, because it is very similar to other important proteins in the human body.

“Many of the important proteins for coagulation that are present in your blood look a lot like the TMPRSS proteins,” Fraser explains.

Successfully drugging subtle features on the TMPRSS proteins that are not present in coagulation proteins can be the difference between stopping infections and interfering with how wounds heal.

“The major challenge in our field is finding really effective compounds or drug candidates that show they’re selective for the target you’re interested in, and don’t block those other essential functions,” says Fraser.

While precise targeting is a challenge, the promise of these proteins as drug targets is immense.

Arctic fossils reveal world’s oldest salmon and carp relatives

2025/05/082025/05/09

Most people picture the time of dinosaurs as a steamy, tropical world. But during the Late Cretaceous period, northern Alaska was a different kind of wild. Located far above the Arctic Circle, it endured months of winter darkness and freezing temperatures – even as much of the planet remained warm. Think sub-Arctic Canada today: cold, wet and seasonal.

A diverse, international team of scientists has now uncovered a remarkable discovery: the world’s oldest known relatives of salmon and carp lived in this extreme environment.

Using the latest in 3D imaging technology, Lisa Van Loon and Neil Banerjee from Western and their collaborators analyzed fossilized fish bones found in the rocks of the Prince Creek Formation in Alaska to reveal a previously undiscovered polar ecosystem. The findings were published May 7 in the journal Papers in Paleontology.

“These discoveries suggest this remote region may have been an evolutionary launchpad for fish that now dominate northern rivers and lakes worldwide,” said Van Loon, adjunct research professor in the departments of Earth sciences and anthropology at Western.

Some of the fossils discovered in Alaska were barely larger than a pin head and were deeply embedded in rock. Traditional fossil preparation, which involves carefully removing surrounding sediment by hand, wasn’t an option; the specimens were simply too fragile.

Using synchrotron micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning technology at the Advanced Proton Source, with support from the Canadian Light Source, researchers scanned the fossil-bearing rocks without physically disturbing them. The ultra-bright, high-resolution X-ray beams allowed them to digitally reconstruct the anatomy of these ancient fish in 3D, revealing intricate structures such as jaws, teeth and fin rays in remarkable detail.

“Many of these fossils were so delicate and deeply encased in rock that traditional preparation would have destroyed them,” said Banerjee, an Earth sciences professor at Western. “Using synchrotron micro-CT scanning, we were able to peer inside the rock in extraordinary detail – resolving tiny jaw bones and teeth without laying a chisel on them. This technology has completely transformed how we study ancient life.”

The scans made it possible to identify entirely new species, some of which represent the earliest-known members of fish groups that today dominate northern rivers and lakes, such as salmon, carp and pike.

Sivulliusalmo alaskensis, meaning “first salmon of Alaska” in Iñupiaq, is now the earliest known member of the salmon family, eclipsing previous records by nearly 10 million years. The earliest known cypriniform, part of the same group as today’s minnows and carp, was also found, marking its first appearance in North America (as they were previously only found in Asia and Europe).

Newly found species of pike-like fish also lived at Prince Creek Formation, some 73 million years ago, including Archaeosiilik gilmulli and Nunikuluk gracilis, as they successfully adapted to the Arctic’s long winters. Sharks like Squatina (a relative of angel sharks), sturgeon and paddlefish, were also revealed within the fossil samples.

“The synchrotron allowed us to virtually reconstruct these fish in 3D, bone by bone,” said Van Loon. “It’s an incredible example of how modern imaging tools are unlocking secrets from the deep past.”

Optimizing gold nanoparticles for better medical imaging, drug delivery, and cancer therapy

2025/04/302025/04/30

Health care professionals use tiny particles of gold (nanoparticles) for a variety of medical applications — from diagnostic imaging to cancer treatment. Gold works well for these applications because it doesn’t cause adverse reactions inside the body, it doesn’t break down easily, and it’s easy to see on imaging tests.

Ontario researchers used the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to determine whether the size of gold nanoparticles affects how they interact with an amino acid called L-cysteine. L-cysteine plays a key role in many biological processes inside the human body. It can prevent gold nanoparticles from clumping together, which is important for ensuring medical treatments work properly. L-cysteine can form a strong bond with gold, which in turn enables it to more easily attach to specific targets, such as cancer cells.

Yolanda Hedberg, a professor of chemistry at Western University, says that while many different sizes of gold nanoparticles are used in medicine, little is known about how size affects their performance. “We’re trying to understand what they do in the body and where they go. It is important to know if the (gold) particle stays the same size, because each size has specific properties and you design the particle in this way, and then don’t want it to change in the human body.”

Using ultrabright synchrotron light — combined with other techniques — Hedberg and her team discovered that smaller gold nanoparticles (5 nanometer) bond more strongly with L-Cysteine than larger ones (10, 15, and 20 nm). For reference, a human hair is about 100,000 nm wide.

They also found that the smallest gold nanoparticles didn’t clump together as much when L-Cysteine was present. Clumping can negatively affect the effectiveness, stability, and safety of nanoparticles. “This shows they can maintain their size and properties in a biological environment,” says Hedberg.

Plant leaves inspire design of improved fuel cell

2025/04/222025/04/28

Hydrogen fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, heat, and water. Because this conversion process doesn’t generate any carbon emissions, fuel cells are seen as a valuable source of green energy that could be key in addressing climate change.

However, there’s an obstacle standing in the way of their use in large-scale applications – powering electric trucks for long-haul transport, for example, or replacing diesel generators to provide electricity in remote, northern communities. Current fuel cells have reached a ceiling in the amount of electricity they can generate because their internal structure cannot adequately manage all of the water that cells create as a byproduct.

Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering looked to a novel source when they were brainstorming for ideas to improve the design of the channels — called “flow fields” — that direct water inside the cell. PhD student Eric Chadwick says that, instead of starting from scratch, he turned to nature for inspiration (“biomimicry”). “Rather than trying to come up with a brand-new design, I decided to look toward nature, as often some organism has already, through evolution, optimized a process.”

In this case, the process was moving water in a single direction. He found evidence of this on the skin of lizards and the leaves of certain plants. “Lizards living in dry, arid climates have scales that have evolved to trap condensation from air and channel it to their eyes and mouth,” says Chadwick. “Similarly, on certain types of leaves the veins catch water and move it to tips of the leaves so that it falls down, so the roots can absorb it.” He and his team incorporated these patterns from nature into the channels within their new cell, to more effectively move water from the porous layer inside the cell to the outside of the cell.

Using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, Chadwick and his colleagues found the nature-inspired design resulted in a 30% increase in the peak power density they could reach in the fuel cell, compared to existing designs. The new cell design showed a more even distribution of water within the cell, with no build up, which also meant more even distribution of the reactants (oxygen and hydrogen) – “so the fuel cell is using the catalyst (platinum) more effectively.” The researchers also found that, because the new design removed excess liquid water from the porous layer, the channels served as additional pathways for more reactant to get to the catalyst layer.

With the high-energy X-rays at the CLS, Chadwick and the team were able to generate richly detailed, cross-sectional images of their new fuel cell while it was operating. “We were able see exactly where the water is going, how much is remaining in the cell, with the different designs we tested,” says Chadwick. In the old design, we used to have this heterogeneous distribution of water. Now we have a much more homogeneous layer of water, which in turn means we have a much more homogenous distribution of the reactants and we’re using the catalyst in the fuel cell much more effectively and evenly.”

Image: Plant leaves inspire design of improved fuel cell

New strategy for targeting cancer-causing protein previously considered “undruggable”

2025/04/152025/05/02

A cancer-causing protein long thought to be resistant to medication could soon be the target of new drugs, thanks to the work of Quebec researchers who used synchrotron light to find and exploit its weak spot.

Dr. Steven LaPlante, a professor at Quebec’s Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), and his team studied a type of protein called Ras, “which is highly related to a good percentage of the cancers that are out there,” especially those of the head, neck and urinary tract. Ras proteins act as a molecular “switch,” flipping between active and inactive modes; they play a critical role in cell signaling and growth regulation and are often mutated in cancers. Major pharmaceutical companies have studied Ras for years, trying to develop new medications, says LaPlante, but have only recently begun to make some breakthroughs.

LaPlante, who worked in the a pharmaceutical industry before joining INRS, said he wanted to take a new approach to the problem, “to start everything from scratch, like making a nice cake – you start from scratch and when you do that, you really have control over how to optimize every segment (of the process) and make a really good cake.”

Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, LaPlante and his team gathered atomic-level, 3D information about the protein; they discovered a “pocket” in it that appears to be an ideal target for molecular drug treatment. But, he added, it is “a cryptic pocket – it’s there sometimes and not there other times,” depending on the state of the protein.

The researchers found that, when the Ras protein is in its mutated, cancer-causing state, “molecules snuggle inside the pocket.” “Using crystallography, we were able to look at the mutant proteins to better understand what their structures are,” says LaPlante. Their work was recently published in the journal ACS Omega.

Improving steel pipelines for safe transport of hydrogen

2025/03/282025/03/28

USask researchers use synchrotron light to capture 3D images of cracks that form inside steel.

Hydrogen is increasingly gaining attention as a promising energy source for a cleaner, more sustainable future. Using hydrogen to meet the energy demands for large-scale applications such as utility infrastructure will require transporting large volumes via existing pipelines designed for natural gas.

But there’s a catch. Hydrogen can weaken the steel that these pipelines are made of. When hydrogen atoms enter the steel, they diffuse into its microstructure and can cause the metal to become brittle, making it more susceptible to cracking. Hydrogen can be introduced into the steel during manufacturing, or while the pipeline is in service transporting oil and gas.

To better understand this problem, researcher Tonye Jack used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) to capture a 3D view of the cracks formed in steels. Researchers have previously relied on two-dimensional imaging techniques, which don’t provide the same rich detail made possible with synchrotron radiation.

Tonye, a PhD candidate in USask’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and his colleagues studied different pipeline steels and showed that microstructure plays a critical role in how much hydrogen the steel absorbs and how it is distributed in the metal. Their research also revealed that when hydrogen enters the steel while the pipeline is in service, it causes more damage than if introduced during manufacturing or other pre-charging conditions.

The risk of steel failure due to hydrogen embrittlement depends on several factors such as the amount of hydrogen in the steel, the steel’s microstructure, stress conditions, and operating environment. However, Tonye emphasizes that how much hydrogen is retained in the steel and where it accumulates largely dictates its failure behavior.

“We need to know the mechanism of failure and how to mitigate it,” he says.

While catastrophic pipeline failures are rare, his team’s findings are important as industries plan to transport hydrogen gas using high-strength natural gas pipelines. “These findings can help inform the production of safer pipelines,” he says. By refining the microstructure, manufacturers can design steels that are more resistant to cracking and hydrogen embrittlement.

New material moves seawater batteries step closer to primetime

2025/03/242025/03/24

As the world makes more use of renewable energy sources, new battery technology is needed to store electricity for the times when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing.

“Current lithium batteries have reached their limitations in terms of energy storage capability, life cycle, and safety,” says Xiaolei Wang, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. “They’re good for applications like electric vehicles and portable electronics, but they’re not suitable for large-scale grid-level energy storage.”

With the help of the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, Wang and his team are developing new technologies to help make grid-level aqueous batteries that can use seawater as an electrolyte. Aqueous batteries can be safer, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly to make and dispose of than lithium-ion batteries, but their development has so far been limited by a lack of a good material to make a decent anode (the part of the battery where electricity flows out).

Wang’s team developed a material made of polymer nanosheets and carbon nanotubes that is suitable for storing a variety of different types of ions, including those found naturally in seawater. These anodes are thicker than previous ones, so have a high capacity for storing energy, and are extremely durable so they can last a long time – up to 380,000 charging cycles in some cases – and they can operate under extreme conditions such as fast charging and discharging, or at low temperatures, says Wang.

The ultrabright synchrotron light at the CLS was vital in understanding the microstructure of the anode material and its electrochemical behaviour. “The success of our project could not have been realised without CLS,” says Wang.

Molecule’s “fingerprint” may help explain formation of life on earth

2025/03/202025/03/20

The chemical element sulphur is essential for all life forms and is a building block of proteins and amino acids. By studying sulphur-based molecules in space, scientists are working to understand the chemical processes that might have led to the formation of life on Earth.

German researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics recently discovered a special type of molecule called singly deuterated methyl mercaptan (CH2DSH). They found it near a young star, similar to our Sun.

Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), Dr. Hayley Bunn and colleagues were able to create a “fingerprint” of the molecule by analyzing how it shakes and rotates in response to ultrabright synchrotron light. Now, other researchers on the international team are using this fingerprint or signature to look for more of the same molecules in distant space. This could enable them to piece together how the molecules for life formed on Earth, billions of years ago.

“We are really trying to understand how far we can go, chemically, toward larger biological molecules and what environments are needed to form them,” says Bunn. “Ultimately it would be nice to answer one day, how is this then inherited into planets and hopefully life?”

The CLS synchrotron was pivotal to the success of Bunn’s research, since the vibrational signals of this basic molecule are extremely hard to detect. Synchrotron light is vastly brighter than conventional sources, making it possible to identify even the faintest signals.

Scientists invent “slime” that could be used in new medical, green energy, and robot applications

2025/02/062025/02/06

University of Guelph (U of G) researchers have developed a slime-like material that produces electricity when compressed. When the team studied their prototype using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, they discovered the material has an array of potential applications.

If installed in floors, it could produce clean energy when people walk on it. If incorporated into a shoe insole, it could be used to analyze your gait. In theory, says lead researcher Erica Pensini, their material could even be used as the basis for a synthetic skin to train robots to know how much pressure to use when checking the pulse of a patient.

“The synchrotron is like a super-microscope,” says Pensini. “It allowed us to see that if you apply an electric field, you can change the crystalline structure of this material.”

Pensini, an associate professor at U of G, and colleagues, found that the “slime” could form different structures at the microscopic level so that it either arranged itself like a sponge, formed layers like a lasagna, or took on a hexagonal form. Pensini conducted the work in collaboration with U of G professors Alejandro G. Marangoni, Aicheng Chen, and Stefano Gregori.

This property, explains Pensini, could offer an opportunity for the targeted delivery of medicine within the body. “Imagine you have the material take an initial structure that contains a pharmaceutical substance and then, when an electric field is applied to it, the structure changes to release the medicine.”

The team’s prototype is composed of natural materials that are highly compatible with the body. It is 90 per cent water plus oleic acid (found in olive oil) and amino acids (the building blocks of protein in the body). “I wanted to make something that is 100 per cent benign and that I would put on my skin without any concerns,” she says.

Organic material can convert toxic heavy metal to harmless form

2025/01/312025/02/06

Researchers from the University of Waterloo have discovered that a special form of charcoal is highly effective at absorbing toxic chromium and transforming it into its safer form.

Chromium is a heavy metal that exists in two forms. One form, chromium(III), is a safe micronutrient that our body needs. The other, chromium(VI), is a dangerous carcinogen linked to ovarian, lung, and liver cancer, and reproductive problems. The dangerous form is usually created during industrial processes such as leather tanning, stainless steel production, and mining, but it can also occur naturally in the presence of manganese minerals.

Biochar, a form of charcoal produced by heating agricultural waste without oxygen, is being studied as a potential tool for cleaning up chromium pollution at industrial sites, using the natural filtering ability of organic carbon.

Filip Budimir, a PhD candidate in earth and environmental sciences at the University of Waterloo, wanted to know what happens when water contaminated with chromium(VI) is mixed with an oak-based biochar. His research is published in the journal Chemosphere.

Using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, Budimir probed the biochar to see where the chromium was being deposited on the grains, and which version of the metal was there. He found that, while the solution initially contained only Cr(VI), after sitting for 120 hours (5 days), most of the chromium (~85%) had become Cr(III). So not only was the biochar absorbing the toxic chromium, it was also converting it to its safer form.

Developing new drugs to battle resurgence of malaria

2025/01/212025/01/21

With a warming climate comes the threat of expanding habitats for mosquitos that carry malaria, but researchers are using sophisticated synchrotron techniques in the quest for new treatments for the deadly disease.

While most cases of Malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia, “mosquito areas are spreading,” explained Dr. Oluwatoyin Asojo, adjunct professor of biochemistry and cell biology at The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Warmer temperatures are helping the mosquitos return to breeding grounds “in places where we haven’t seen it (malaria) since the early part of the 20th century,” like North America and parts of Europe.

According to the World Health Organization’s most recent World Malaria Report, there were 262 million cases of the disease worldwide in 2023 and 597,000 deaths. Almost all the deaths occurred in Africa.

Given the risk of new malaria spread and growing drug resistance to conventional quinine-based therapeutics, new options are needed “so we’ll have an arsenal of tools ready,” she said. Asojo is part of an international team of scientists and students using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to study treatments targeting the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax). The challenge with P. vivax is that it can remain dormant in the human liver for years or even decades, then enter the blood and cause symptoms.

The team recently found a compound (IMP-1088) that binds in the parasite with an enzyme called N-myristoyltransferase or NMT, which also occurs naturally in humans. This binding inhibits all stages thus disrupting P. vivax’s lifecycle.

Advancing hydrogen as a replacement for carbon fuels

2024/12/172024/12/18

While the notion of using hydrogen for energy has been around since Sir William Grove first invented the fuel cell in 1838, the idea started to get more traction after the first use of fuel cells in space for NASA’s 1965 Gemini V mission.

More recently, researchers like Tess Seip, a PhD candidate in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Toronto (UToronto), have been investigating hydrogen as a green energy source to mitigate carbon emissions.

Seip and a team led by Dr. Aimy Bazylak are working to improve the efficiency of a device that uses electricity—preferably from solar and wind sources—to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen gases, which can then be stored and used for energy. The device is called a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer, or PEMWE for short.

The UToronto team was focused on a specific layer inside the PEMWE, called the porous transport layer (PTL), which controls the flow of water inside. Water passes through the PTL before it reaches a catalyst layer, which splits the water molecule.

However, the reaction—known as electrolysis—can cause excess gas to accumulate, which prevents water from reaching the catalyst. Seip and her colleagues were testing a new design they developed, which has extra channels in it, to improve water flow. Better water flow means less energy is needed to drive the process.

With the help of the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, the team found that their simple modification did in fact improve the efficiency of a PEMWE.

Seip and her colleagues were particularly interested to see if there were changes in membrane thickness and PTL hydration. “If it’s not hydrated, it slows the reaction rate and reduces the efficiency,” says Seip.

The ultra bright light produced by the CLS synchrotron was critical for their work: “The BMIT beamline at the CLS has a resolution of around 6.5 microns per pixel, so this lets us characterize these microscopic changes in the membrane,” says Seip. For reference, the typical human hair is 65 microns thick. “The most important factor is that we are able to do this while the cell is operating.”

Image: The research team at the BMIT-ID beamline at the Canadian Light Source. L-R: Tess Seip, Lijun Zhu, Chaeyoung Tina Ham, Dr. Alexandre Tugirumubano, and Prof. Aimy Bazylak.

Discovery paves way for next-generation medications

2024/12/112024/12/11

As the problem of antibiotic resistance continues to grow, we need new drugs that the bad bacteria in our bodies don’t already know how to avoid. New research by scientists at McGill University represents a major step forward in our ability to develop medicines whose effectiveness will endure in the battle against infections.

The study, published in the prestigious journal Nature, has revealed how molecular machinery inside nature’s microbes builds antibiotics. Researchers have been working on this problem for decades, and this new insight represents a major step forward in our ability to create new drugs and medicines.

Scientists Angelos Pistofidis and Martin Schmeing used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to take groundbreaking pictures of the molecular machinery’s crystal structure.

The molecular machines that Pistofidis and Schmeing studied are called nonribosomal peptide synthetases, or NRPSs. They build some of the most important compounds in current health care and environmental treatments, including antibiotics, anti-cancer agents, and immunosuppressants.

“They have an immense number of applications,” says Pistofidis. “For example, the peptide cyclosporin has been used many, many times as an immunosuppressant for organ transplant operations.”

The breakthrough in their project was capturing images of the NRPS during a key step in the process of building antibiotics. Previously, they had identified the steps involved in NRPS’s production process, but the details were hazy. The synchrotron played a key role in their work.

Getting the NRPS machine to pause at this step took Pistofidis four years of work, while Schmeing has been working on uncovering the details of this whole process for 15 years.

New type of battery could outlast EVs

2024/12/092024/12/09

There’s a big push underway to increase the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries powering EVs on the road today. By law, in the US, these cells must be able to hold 80% of their original full charge after eight years of operation.

However, many industry experts believe we need batteries that last decades – so that once they’re no longer robust enough for use in EVs, we can put them to use in “second-life applications” – such as bundling them together to store wind and solar energy to power the electrical grid.

Researchers from Dalhousie University used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to analyze a new type of lithium-ion battery material – called a single-crystal electrode – that’s been charging and discharging non-stop in a Halifax lab for more than six years. It lasted more than 20,000 cycles before it hit the 80% capacity cutoff. That translates to driving a jaw-dropping 8 million kms. As part of the study, the researchers compared the new type of battery – which has only recently come to market – to a regular lithium-ion battery that lasted 2,400 cycles before it reached the 80% cutoff.

“The main focus of our research was to understand how damage and fatigue inside a battery progresses over time, and how we can prevent it,” says Toby Bond, a senior scientist at the CLS, who conducted the research for his PhD, under the supervision of Professor Jeff Dahn, Professor Emeritus and Principal Investigator (NSERC/Tesla Canada/Dalhousie Alliance Grant) at Dalhousie University. The study was funded by Tesla Canada and NSERC under the Alliance grant program.

Things got very interesting, he says, when the scientists used the ultrabright synchrotron light to peer inside the two batteries. When they looked at the inner workings of the regular lithium-ion battery, they saw an extensive amount of microscopic cracking in the electrode material, caused by repeated charging and discharging. The lithium, he explains, actually forces the atoms in the battery material apart and causes expansion and contraction of the material.

“Eventually, there were so many cracks that the electrode was essentially pulverized.”

However, when the researchers looked at the single crystal electrode battery, they saw next to no evidence of this mechanical stress. “In our images, it looked very much like a brand-new cell. We could almost not tell the difference.”

Bond attributes the near absence of degradation in the new style battery to the difference in the shape and behaviour of the particles that make up the battery electrodes. In the regular battery, the battery electrodes are made up of tiny particles up to 50 times smaller than the width of a hair. If you zoom in on these particles, they are composed of even tinier crystals that are bunched together like snowflakes in a snowball. The single crystal is, as its name implies, one big crystal: it’s more like an ice cube. “If you have a snowball in one hand, and an ice cube in the other, it’s a lot easier to crush the snowball,” says Bond. “The ice cube is much more resistant to mechanical stress and strain.”