A supportive environment where you can learn and grow

Diamond’s #LightSourceSelfie

Nina Vyas (PDRA in correlative microscopy) and Nina Perry (Diamond Year in Industry student) filmed their #LightSourceSelfie on Diamond’s B24 beamline. B24 is a correlative cryo-imaging beamline offering 3D imaging with soft X-ray tomography (cryoSXT) complemented by super resolution fluorescence structured illumination microscopy (cryoSIM).

With only a few places in the world where researchers can access this type of equipment, working at B24 is exciting as the experiments being done are destined to have a positive impact on global health. In their #LightSourceSelfie, Nina and Nina recall their first day working on the beamline. They also describe the collaborative, supportive environment that exists, ensuring early career researchers are given the help they need to learn new skills.

Beyond B24, Diamond’s other beamlines are supporting science across a wide range of fields and, as Nina Perry says, “Some of the best things about working at light sources is the variety of science and experiments that are going on around you. We work in a biological lab but just next door there is chemistry and physics experiments, cultural heritage investigations and all sorts. The variety is endless.”

Learn more about Diamond’s B24 beamline here

Korean scientists test the brand-new MYSTIIC

Jongwoo and his team from Seoul are “friendly users”. This name is given to scientists who do their experiments on a pristine machine, before it goes into user operation. Back in Korea we called them to hear more about their special beamtime and what it means for their battery research.

Who are you and how did you discover BESSY II?

I am Jongwoo Lim, assistant professor at the department of chemistry at Seoul National University. My research group “Battery and Energy Research Lab” counts many talented young scientists. In 2018 a colleague from the Max Planck Society invited me to give a talk and, on this occasion, I visited BESSY II. Back in Seoul I wanted my team to discover this amazing science environment.

Getting beamtime at BESSY II, how does this work?

The competition for beamtime is very strong, many scientists want to come to BESSY II! We send in a proposal and were rejected several times. Finally, after 2 years we got the green light for some beamtime at MAXYMUS, the beamline of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (more below). And on top of that, beamline scientist Markus asked us if we were interested to use and test MYSTIIC (Microscope for x-raY Scanning Transmission In-situ Imaging of Catalysts). This new microscope will go into operation in Spring 2022.

Read more on the HZB blog science site

Image: Jongwoo’s team from Korea at BESSY II