Category: SESAME

President of the Federal Republic of Germany visits SESAME laboratory

President of the Federal Republic of Germany visits SESAME laboratory

During a state visit to Jordan today, His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, took time out to visit the SESAME laboratory north-west of the capital Amman. In November last year, Germany announced its intention to become an Associate Member of SESAME, cementing the country’s already long-standing support for the Laboratory. At the end of his visit, the President signed the Laboratory’s guest book, in the company of SESAME Director Dr Khaled Toukan and young researchers from across the region: “I am fascinated by the succeeding cooperation of so many countries in the Middle East and worldwide. This important work of researchers shows what a treasure international cooperation to the benefit of all of us is. Germany continues to support this place of science in the years to come.”

Germany’s relationship with SESAME goes back to the origins of the laboratory. It was the donation of the BESSY I synchrotron that allowed the fledgling SESAME to establish itself as an intergovernmental organisation in 2004. BESSY I components today form the injector for the SESAME main ring accelerator. Germany has been an Observer to the SESAME Council since its establishment in 2004.

Read more on the SESAME website

Image: H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and H.E. Khaled Toukan with the scientists at the ID11L-HESEB and ID11R-TXPES beamlines.

Credit: © SESAME 2026

Diamond hosts SESAME delegation

Diamond hosts SESAME delegation

Diamond Light Source hosted a delegation from SESAME in Jordan, marking a renewed commitment to the existing scientific collaboration between the two facilities. 

Also in attendance was Professor Dame Angela McLean, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, a representative of His Excellency Manar M Dabbas, Jordan’s ambassador the UK and Professor Samar Hasnain, the UK’s representative on the SESAME Council since 2004. 

The visit marked a new phase in the long-standing relationship between the two synchrotron facilities, which share a mission of advancing scientific excellence and fostering cross-border collaboration.  

SESAME, located in Allan, Jordan, is an intergovernmental research centre established under UNESCO and inspired by the cooperative model of CERN. It brings together scientists from across the Middle East and neighbouring regions, serving as a scientific hub of shared research. 

The UK has been involved with SESAME since its inception, serving as a founding observer nation and offering guidance and expertise throughout the facility’s development over the past two decades. 

Read more on the Diamond website

Image: L-R: Dr Kawal Sawhney (head of the Optics and Metrology group), Professor Samar Hasnain (UK representative on the SESAME Council), Dr Richard Walker (Diamond Technical Director), Professor Sofia Diaz-Moreno (Spectroscopy group leader), Dame Angela McLean (UK government chief scientific adviser), Dr Khaled Toukan (Director of SESAME), Professor Gianluigi Botton (CEO of Diamond Light Source), representative of the Jordan ambassador to the UK, Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn-Smith (former president of SESAME Council), Professor Michael Fitzpatrick (Diamond board member), Professor Sir Mark Walport (foreign secretary and vice president of the Royal Society) Dr Maher Attal (SESAME Technical Director), Dr Adrian Mancuso (Diamond Physical Science Director), Dr Martin Walsh (interim Diamond Life Science Director), Professor Andy Dent, Dr Andrea Lausi (SESAME Science Director)

Credit: Diamond Light Source

Unraveling phenylalanine’s toxic fibril formation

Unraveling phenylalanine’s toxic fibril formation

In a recent study published in Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, a team from Istanbul Medeniyet University, Marmara University, and SESAME investigated how L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) fibrils form and become toxic, and how D-phenylalanine (D-Phe) affects this process in different amounts and pH levels.

The study offers new insights into the biochemical mechanisms behind toxic amyloid-like structures—closely linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as phenylketonuria (PKU), Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Phenylalanine, a type of amino acid, was found to create needle-shaped fibres at low amounts by using interactions called π-stacking and hydrogen bonding. These structures reduce cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, mimicking pathological amyloid formation.

Using Synchrotron Fourier-Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy (SR-FTIRµ) at SESAME, researchers could identify specific vibrations related to the formation of harmful fibres. 

This advanced technique, which doesn’t require labels, allowed for a close look at the molecules in phenylalanine assemblies, showing important chemical signs related to changes in structure. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of fibril-related toxicity and underscore the value of synchrotron-based techniques for advancing research on amino acid behaviour in disease-relevant contexts. 

Read more on SESAME website

Non-destructive study of ancient glass and other vitreous materials from Southwest Asia

Non-destructive study of ancient glass and other vitreous materials from Southwest Asia

The availability of a SXCT (Synchrotron X-ray Computed Tomography) facility at the heart of Southwest Asia facilitates and enhances the non-destructive examination and conservation of ancient vitreous materials of the region, proving the relevance of the technique for archaeologists, museums, and cultural heritage specialists.

In recent measurements at SESAME’s ID10-BEATS beamline, users from Italy, Jordan, Palestine, Switzerland and Türkiye joined SESAME’s beamline scientists, Gianluca Iori, Latif Ullah Khan and Philipp Hans, in the application of Synchrotron X-ray Computed Tomography (SXCT) for the non-destructive analysis of ancient glass, faience, and several other vitreous materials. The results of their work have been published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage 

The international and multidisciplinary composition of this team demonstrates not only the wide-ranging applications of synchrotron techniques, but also the collaborative spirit fostered by the Facility. This highlights how SXCT serves as a versatile tool for cultural heritage research across different geographical and academic contexts, and shows its potential to address varied scientific and conservation challenges. 

The analysis of archaeological objects poses a set of challenges arising from the fragility and uniqueness of the materials, and requires special non-invasive techniques.

SXCT brings the solution to this as it provides high-resolution 3D X-ray images which, with no invasive techniques likely to damage the objects, permits the understanding of the structure and chemical composition of ancient artifacts. It also reveals details not detectable by conventional techniques.

Thanks to SXCT, researchers are able to examine fragile artifacts, and so understand how they were produced. It also provides information on their aging process, and how they are to be conserved for future generations, and this irrespective of the size of the objects.

Read more on SESAME website

Image: Detector Hasselblad lenses (1x magnification) with ORYS FLIR camera; 4.5 micron voxel size

Credit: SESAME

SESAME leads the way in Open Science worldwide with DataCite Global Access Fund

SESAME leads the way in Open Science worldwide with DataCite Global Access Fund

SESAME and Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) are collaborating with Global Access Fund (GAF) on a transformative initiative to enhance the accessibility, management, and sharing of research data to its user community. The GAF is part of the DataCite Global Access Program (GAP) made possible by grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The scope of the project is to create a scalable infrastructure that enhances data discoverability, citation, and accessibility, advancing Open Science and international collaboration. SESAME’s role in this initiative underscores its commitment to scientific progress and global partnerships.

In addition to SESAME’s efforts, ASREN plays a vital role by providing the technical infrastructure needed for Open Science initiatives in the Middle East and Africa. True to its mission to implement, manage and extend sustainable pan-Arab e-Infrastructures dedicated to the use of research and education communities, ASREN will facilitate data sharing among research institutions through high-capacity networks.

This collaboration places SESAME in a unique position to foster scientific cooperation in politically diverse regions. With its (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) FAIR data practices and partnerships with global organizations like DataCite, SESAME is helping researchers from the Middle East contribute significantly to global scientific knowledge. The comprehensive experimental data and its metadata associated with Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) support researchers in sharing their findings transparently and collaborating with the global scientific community, raising the visibility of Middle Eastern scientists and promoting new opportunities for partnerships.

Read more on SESAME website

Gihan Kamel awarded the John Wheatley Award 2025

Gihan Kamel awarded the John Wheatley Award 2025

SESAME is pleased to announce that three distinguished scientists, Gihan Kamel, Sekazi Mtingwa, and Simon H. Connell, have been named the 2025 recipients of the prestigious John Wheatley Award, which is given biennially by the American Physical Society (APS) to recognise exceptional contributions to capacity building in the Global South through advancing physics research and education. 

Gihan Kamel, principal scientist at SESAME’s Infrared Spectromicroscopy beamline, has been recognised for exceptional contributions to capacity building in Africa, the Middle East, and other developing regions, including leadership in training researchers in beamline techniques at synchrotron light sources and establishing the groundwork for future facilities in the Global South. 

Kamel’s contributions go beyond her role in SESAME: as a prominent member of both SESAME and the African Light Source (AfLS) – a project aiming at establishing Africa’s first synchrotron facility – her efforts have been critical in bridging gaps between SESAME and the African Light Source, resulting in a strong network that promotes cross-border scientific progress. In the words of Gihan Kamel in commenting on the Award: “Science is not meant to stay inside laboratories or published in research papers. Science must have a global mission and must always find its way everywhere despite challenges and disappointments“

Read more on SESAME website

Image: Gihan Kamel

SESAME: The road ahead for the next five years

SESAME: The road ahead for the next five years

The Members of SESAME have recently approved a Five-Year Strategic Plan that sets their vision and goals for the Center during the next five years (2024-2028).

SESAME now has five operational beamlines, three that have been hosting users for a few years and two that have come on stream this year. A sixth is under construction. The Center has a 48-room Guest House where it may accommodate users and a solar power plant that covers all the energy needs of the accelerators, beamlines and SESAME building.

It has an ever-increasing number of registered users (currently 1,538) and if one adds the one call for proposals issued in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, as well as those received for the first call in 2023, this amounts to a total of 572 proposals. Of these, 294 had been approved.

At today’s date, there are 84 articles that have appeared in peer-review publications for experiments carried out at the three beamlines that have been in operation for a few years, and the average scientific impact factor of the journals in which these papers have been published is 5.4, with 25% of them being in journals having an impact factor greater than 7.

In other words, SESAME has now entered a more user-oriented phase of its evolution. This makes the setting up of sample preparation infrastructures to allow users to take full advantage of the beamlines a priority, and essential upgrades to some of the operational beamlines a must, as well as improvements to the accelerators to enhance machine reliability and performance and beam availability and stability of prime importance. It also makes the setting in place of a series of support laboratories to assist users in carrying out their studies and support the research conducted at the beamlines, as well as an upgrade of the optics for the BM02-IR (Infrared) spectromicroscopy beamline, new focusing optics for the BM08-XAFS/XRF (X-ray Absorption Fine Structure/X-ray Fluorescence) spectroscopy beamline, and the establishment of a pool of sample environment systems to meet the users’ demands crucial. For the moment, three support laboratories are envisaged. They are a ChemLab, MatLab and BioLab. It further makes the installation of a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) and diesel generator for SESAME’s security system and emergency lights, and renovation of the fire alarm system mandatory infrastructure upgrades.

All this is envisaged in what is referred to in the Strategic Plan as Category A activities, in other words, activities that are critical for the sustainability of SESAME’s activity that need to be implemented during the period of the Strategic Plan in order to consolidate the existing beamlines and implement the gaps in the Scientific, Technical and Administrative Sectors. Funding to the amount of US$5.908M is required for these activities. This is divided as follows: US$4.350M for the Scientific Sector, US$1.333M for the Technical Sector and US$0.225M for the Administrative Sector.

Read more on the SESAME website

X-ray Excited Optical Luminescence (XEOL)

X-ray Excited Optical Luminescence (XEOL)

XEOL is an X-ray photon in/optical photon out technique that is related to the conversion of the X-ray energy absorbed by the materials to optical photons, involving multi-step energy transfer cascade processes. XEOL is often used together with XANES to reveal the electronic structure and optical properties of the system of interest, such as rare earth down conversion phosphors, quantum confined semiconductors, heterogeneous materials etc., and is applied in display/lighting technologies (TV, smartphone and LED lamps), scintillators, rechargeable batteries and energy conversion devices (photovoltaic cells). XEOL is now available at the end station of BM-08 XAFS/XRF beamline with emission spectra measurement capability under irradiation with X-ray beam.

Read more in SESAME website

Image: General view of the XEOL experimental setup at BM-08 XAFS/XRF beamline.  Sample environment with optical fiber for collecting the luminescence signals

Iraq to accede to associate membership of SESAME

Iraq to accede to associate membership of SESAME

At its 42nd meeting held in Barcelona (Spain) on 10-11 July, the Council of SESAME unanimously welcomed and approved Iraq’s request to become an Associate Member of SESAME.

As a result, Iraq will become a Prospective Member, which is a stepping stone to full membership.

“My visit to SESAME on 8 June 2023 has convinced me that Iraq will stand to greatly benefit from membership, and that this would be the right moment for it to become a Member” indicated Naeem Alaboodi, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Head of the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission, in his letter to Rolf Heuer, President of the SESAME Council. “However, before doing so” he went on to say, “it would like to better familiarize itself with the governance, procedures and activity of this center, and it feels that the best way of doing this would be by first, taking on associate membership”.

Iraq has been following progress in SESAME for sometime now and its formal association with SESAME will be the culmination of this.

“The Council and all the Members of SESAME are delighted by Iraq’s decision” said Rolf Heuer, “and we look forward to further countries of the region joining the SESAME family both for the benefit the countries will derive from the many opportunities SESAME offers and for the benefit their experience will bring to SESAME” he continued.

“As an Associate Member of SESAME, Iraq will start having greater access to SESAME’s facilities for its national priority projects and more opportunities for international collaboration” added Khaled Toukan, Director of SESAME, “and we are pleased to already have first Iraqi users. They are co-investigators from two Iraqi institutes collaborating in a project of the Natural History Museum in the U.K. in which synchrotron radiation infrared spectromicroscopy on modern stromatolites [1] will be a tool for studying the ancient records of the earth’s fossils by using a unique set of complex stromatolites and thrombolites [2] collected at Ganau Spring in the northeast of Iraq.” 

Read more on SESAME website

Inauguration of BEATS, the BEAmline for Tomography at SESAME

Inauguration of BEATS, the BEAmline for Tomography at SESAME

With BEATS, the fifth beamline at the SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) synchrotron was ceremoniously inaugurated on 6 June 2023. SESAME, operating since 2017, is an intergovernmental laboratory located near Amman (Jordan) and the only synchrotron facility in the Middle East and neighbouring regions.

The new BEATS (BEAmline for Tomography at Sesame) beamline will provide full-field X-ray radiography and tomography techniques, thus considerably extending the scientific possibilities of the Facility and the research opportunities in the region. BEATS first delivered synchrotron light to its experimental station on 11 May 2023, a success that is now being celebrated.

BEATS was designed, built and successfully commissioned thanks to a European project that brought together leading research facilities in the Middle East (SESAME and The Cyprus Institute), and European synchrotron radiation facilities: ALBA-CELLS (Spain), DESY (Germany), Elettra (Italy), the ESRF (France), INFN (Italy), PSI (Switzerland) and SOLARIS (Poland). The initiative has been funded through a 6 million euro grant by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 822535. The project, which started in 2019, was coordinated by the ESRF.

Two powerful techniques for non-destructive 3D imaging

Indeed, BEATS will offer two kinds of powerful experimental 3D imaging techniques that are new at SESAME: full-field X-ray radiography and tomography. They will be helpful for the analysis of a large variety of objects and materials and thus offer the opportunity to study an impressive range of scientific questions in the areas of medicine, biology, engineering, and materials science, as well as earth and planetary sciences. Thanks to its non-destructive approach, the new beamline is of particular importance for the study of cultural heritage and archaeological samples, thus constituting a key asset for researchers in the SESAME region.

“BEATS enhances the visibility and international recognition of the Middle East’s scientific community,” says Maria Hadjitheodosiou, Ambassador of the EU to Jordan. “It will attract collaborations and partnerships with researchers from around the world.”

Jordan’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Azmi Mahafzah adds that Jordan is proud to be the host country of SESAME: “Since the beginning, the SESAME project received the full support of His Majesty King Abdullah II. We are also very grateful to the European Union for its generous contributions and on-going support to SESAME.”

In parallel with the inauguration of the new beamline, SESAME is organizing the first edition of the “BEATS X-ray tomography lectures & training course” that is being held on its premises on 6 – 7 June. Its objective is to train a group of early users from the region and so enable them to use the new beamline effectively.

The first opportunity for scientists to submit a proposal to use the BEATS beamline will be in September 2023.

“SESAME brings together researchers from different countries in the Middle East and neighbouring regions. BEATS will facilitate these important regional cooperations and strengthen yet more the knowledge exchange between scientists,” says Rolf-Dieter Heuer, President of the SESAME Council. “The growth of scientific knowledge and expertise in turn contributes to economic development, innovation, and competitiveness of the region as a whole.”

“BEATS adds new analytical capabilities to SESAME’s research portfolio. Tomographic X-ray microscopy will allow the non-destructive investigation of unique samples and will provide a formidable research tool for many scientific areas,” went on to say Khaled Toukan, Director of SESAME.

Read more on the SESAME website

Image: Dignitaries formally inaugurate BEATS. Cutting the ribbon are (left to right):  Prof. Azmi Mahafzah, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Jordan, SESAME Director, Khaled Toukan and H.E. Ms Maria Hadjitheodosiou, Ambassador of the European Union to Jordan.

Credit: SESAME 2023

BEATS, SESAME’s fifth beamline sees light and expands the Centre’s scientific capability

BEATS, SESAME’s fifth beamline sees light and expands the Centre’s scientific capability

SESAME is glad to announce that on Thursday, 11th May 2023, at 16:48, a group of its engineers and scientists successfully delivered the first X-ray photon beam to the experimental station of the BEATS (BEAmline for Tomography at SESAME) beamline. During the experiment, more than 1000 X-ray radiographic images of a rotating test sample were obtained in only 12 seconds by one of the beamline detectors. The data was collected and reconstructed by the high-performance computing facility specifically designed for the beamline and installed at SESAME in 2022, thus allowing the generation of a 3D image of the object. 

The BEATS beamline will provide full-field X-ray radiography and tomography: two powerful and non-destructive techniques for 3D imaging and analysis of a large variety of objects and materials. With its non-destructive approach, this new beamline will deliver virtual volume images that are particularly important for the Cultural Heritage and Archaeological communities. The characterization of the 3D internal microstructure offered by tomography, is also of paramount importance for an exhaustive understanding of other materials, objects, and organisms. The BEATS beamline may be used in a large range of scientific and technological applications ranging from medicine, biology, engineering, and materials science to earth and planetary sciences, thus representing a key asset for researchers in the SESAME region.

The beamline was designed and built thanks to a European project that brought together leading research facilities in the Middle East (SESAME and The Cyprus Institute), and European synchrotron radiation facilities: ALBA-CELLS (Spain), DESY (Germany), Elettra (Italy), the ESRF (France), INFN (Italy), PSI (Switzerland) and SOLARIS (Poland). The initiative has been funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The project was coordinated by the ESRF.

Read more on SESAME website

Image: SESAME 2023: Phase contrast reconstruction generated by combining 1000 projections of 12 ms exposure time each (left) of a vial of glass speres 300 µm in diameter positioned in front of the detector on the sample stage (right) for the first test of the BEATS beamline at SESAME.

Formation of the defect dipoles around dopants demonstrated in dielectric ceramics

Formation of the defect dipoles around dopants demonstrated in dielectric ceramics

A team of international scientists from China, Germany, Norway and Pakistan with SESAME staff have used the BM08 – XAFS/XRF beamline at SESAME for high dielectric constant materials that are of particular interest as indispensable components in electronics. The authors have demonstrated a new approach for optimizing the dielectric properties by acceptor–donor co-doping in (Gax, Cuy) Zn1−x–yO films fabricated with pulse laser deposition (PLD) or, alternatively, exchanging the co-doping step by ion implantation. Exploitation of defect engineering in dielectric ceramics for enhancing performance is an active research area globally. Materials with high dielectric constant (k) and low loss throughout a wide frequency range are among the key components for the device size scale-down in nanoelectronics. The XAFS study performed at SESAME revealed the formation of the defect dipoles around dopants.

Read more on the SESAME website

Image: Examples of the X-ray analysis. a) XPS data showing the Cu 2p spectra for the Cu8Zn92O and Ga0.5Cu8Zn91.5O films. b) The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra at the Cu K-edge of Cu8Zn92O and Ga0.5Cu8Zn91.5O samples including reference samples, e.g., Cu foil and CuO powder. c) Magnitude of the Fourier transform of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra. d) Fourier transform of Real χ at the Zn K-edge of Ga0.5Zn99.5O, Cu8Zn92O, and Ga0.5Cu8Zn91.5O samples compared with theoretical model (black lines).

Inauguration of SESAME’s fourth beamline

Inauguration of SESAME’s fourth beamline

12 June saw the inauguration of yet another beamline at the SESAME synchrotron light facility near Amman (Jordan). This was the HElmholtz-SEsame Beamline (HESEB) for soft X-ray light designed and constructed by a consortium of five Helmholtz Research Centers of the Helmholtz Association under the lead of DESY. HESEB is a new, state-of-the-art measuring facility for experiments with soft X-ray light that will substantially widen research opportunities for scientists from the region and enable new international collaborations with many institutions, including German institutions. 

Among the dignitaries present to celebrate the event, to cut the ribbon and unveil a commemorative plaque marking the inauguration were H.E. Professor Wajih Owais, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Jordan, H.E. Mr Bernhard Kampmann, Ambassador of Germany to Jordan, Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer, President of the SESAME Council, Professor Otmar Wiestler, President of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, and Professor Helmut Dosch, Chair of the Board of Directors at DESY – on behalf of the HESEB Consortium. Also present were the Governor of Balqa Governorate, the President of the Al-Balqa’ Applied University, members of the Jordan Parliament and of the Local Council, a high-level delegation from the Helmholtz Centers, and representatives of the Turkish and United Arab Emirates community and the local community. 

Read more on the SESAME website

Image: Commemorative plaque and the HESEB beamline

Credit: © SESAME 2022

Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow

Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow

The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March, 2022 (IWD 2022) is, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.

To mark the day and the theme, Lightsources.org brings you a special #LightSourceSelfie montage featuring just a few of the dedicated women who feature in our video campaign.

Installation of SESAME’s HESEB soft X-ray beamline starts

Installation of SESAME’s HESEB soft X-ray beamline starts

From 9th to 27th January, a team from the German company FMB Feinwerk- und Meßtechnik GmbH in Berlin that was awarded the contract for construction of HESEB, the Helmholtz-SESAME Beamline for soft X-ray spectroscopy, together with SESAME’s team, installed the complete front-end and optics of the beamline at the ID 11 port of the SESAME ring.

In 2019, five research centers of the German Helmholtz Association, DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron), FZJ (Forschungszentrum Jülich), HZB (Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin), HZDR (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf), and KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie), joined forces to implement a new, state-of-the-art soft X-ray beamline at SESAME. The HESEB project is being generously funded to the order of 3.5 M€ by the Initiative & Networking Fund of the Helmholtz Association.

The source will be a refurbished BESSY-II UE56 APPLE-II undulator provided by HZB.

HESEB will be the first soft X-ray beamline at SESAME and will significantly expand the research capabilities available to the user community in the Middle East and neighbouring regions. The undulator’s ability to provide linearly to circularly polarized light makes the beamline very suitable for materials science applications, especially magnetic materials. Its plane grating monochromator uses exchangeable gratings to cover a photon energy range from 70 eV to 2000 eV.

Image: The HESEB project team during installation at SESAME of the front-end and optics of the beamline

Credit: © SESAME 2022

Read more on the SESAME website and see a time-lapse video of the HESEB installation below: 

An abundance of talents within the light source community

An abundance of talents within the light source community

Monday Montage – Talents!

Our #LightSourceSelfies campaign has uncovered a wealth of talents among staff and users at light source facilities around the world. From skating to sculpting and painting to perennials, this Monday Montage illustrates the many hobbies and interests that those in our community enjoy in their spare time. With contributions from the ESRF, SESAME, LCLS and the European XFEL, this montage highlights the variety of activities that help people maintain a healthy work/life balance.