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Observing skyrmionic cocoons in three dimensions

Observing skyrmionic cocoons in three dimensions

Recently, it became possible to image in three dimensions magnetic textures having dimension of 100 nm or even less. The joint teams of the Laboratoire Albert Fert in Palaiseau and the SEXTANTS beamline scientists, helped by colleagues from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, the University of Augsburg and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden, used a peculiar holography technique called HERALDO, allowing different projection of a sample containing “cocoons” to be acquired. Digitally combining these projections delivers a 3D map of the 3D magnetization inside the sample.

Sub-micronic three dimensional (3D) magnetic textures, notably the ones having a peculiar topology and chirality, are attracting a renew attention these last few years, partly thanks to the progresses in the imaging techniques. Among them, some are topologically non-trivial, meaning that they cannot be continuously deformed into a uniform state. Their non-trivial topology gives rise to a number of physical effects, such as the skyrmion Hall effect or the topological Hall effect. Understanding the chiral interactions allowing their stabilization and imaging their 3D internal structure has enabled the control of such effects. Among the imaging techniques stand in good position the ones based on soft X-ray imaging: the photons energy is tuned at an energy at which the absorption depends on the magnetic state of the sample, providing magnetic contrast with high spatial resolution. 

At SOLEIL, on the SEXTANTS beamline, HERALDO measurements were performed. HERALDO is a form of holography measurements which uses slits instead of holes as reference sources. The advantage of the slit is notably that it allows the sample to be tilted in the X-ray beam and hence record different projection of the sample and its magnetic state. Using a recursive algorithm, after a fairly complex treatment of images including nm-precision alignment, the 3D magnetization is reconstructed in 3D.

Read more on the SOLEIL website

Image: Reconstructed magnetization texture. The out-of-plane magnetization mz of the bottommost layer is represented in red (mz < 0) and blue (mz > 0). Zero mz isosurfaces appear as ghosty gray surfaces and a pair of cocoons (about 150 nm in diameter) are highlighted with the in-plane magnetization direction displayed as colored arrows.

Researchers watch chemistry unfold atom by atom

Researchers watch chemistry unfold atom by atom

Study suggests a new way to follow electronic and vibrational dynamics in real time

Researchers have captured how a molecule redistributes energy after absorbing light, differentiating the roles of individual atoms in the process. They used X-ray flashes from the European XFEL to show that different atoms of the same molecule can reveal entirely different aspects of the process. The study provides clear evidence that excitation by light can enhance an atom’s sensitivity to motion of nearby atoms. The new method for following ultrafast chemical reactions at the atomic scale and in real-time can help understanding photostability in DNA, energy flow in light-harvesting materials, and other fundamental processes driven by light.

The team investigated 3-fluoropyridine, a small ring-shaped molecule. When the molecule absorbs light like a short pulse from an ultraviolet laser, it is promoted into an electronically excited state and rapidly distorts out of its original planar shape. It then passes through a so-called conical intersection: a short-lived but crucial crossing point where movements of electrons and the atoms’ cores become strongly coupled. After this point, the molecule returns to the ground state. At that moment, electronic energy is converted into vibrations. The researchers found that this conversion leaves distinct fingerprints at different atomic sites: the fluorine atom acts as a clean marker of vibrational relaxation, while the nitrogen atom, which is more directly involved in the excitation, reflects an intertwined response of electron redistribution and structural motion. “We can now see that not every atomic site tells the same story in the signals we capture from our X-ray pulses,” says Antonio Picón from the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICMM-CSIC), co-author of the study. “Some atoms report where the charge is going, while others reveal how the whole molecule vibrates.”

To observe this process, the team used time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (tr-XPS) at the Small Quantum Systems instrument (SQS) of European XFEL. An ultraviolet laser pulse first excited the molecules, and a precisely delayed soft X-ray pulse then ionized them by removing deeply bound electrons from either the nitrogen or fluorine atoms. By measuring the energy of these emitted electrons at many different time delays, the scientists reconstructed how the local chemical environment evolved over the course of just a couple of picoseconds (trillionths of seconds). To interpret the data, the team developed advanced simulations and models.

Read more on the European XFEL website

Image: Experiment on 3-fluoropyridine: a UV pulse (purple beam from the left) excites the molecule, and a delayed X-ray pulse (white beam from the lower right) probes the nitrogen atom (purple sphere). The measurement reveals light-induced charge redistribution (purple cloud) from the perspective of a core-photoelectron from the nitrogen site (concentric rings). The fluorine atom (green sphere) can also be probed and acts mainly as a marker of vibrational dynamics.

Credit: European XFEL/Enrique Sahagun

From Light Sources to Innovation Ecosystems: The First IUPAP Hackathonino at IPAC2026

From Light Sources to Innovation Ecosystems: The First IUPAP Hackathonino at IPAC2026

Connecting Students, Research Infrastructures, and Industry Through Accelerator Science

Large-scale research infrastructures such as synchrotron light sources and neutron facilities are increasingly recognised not only for their scientific output, but also for their role in training talent, strengthening international collaboration, and building scientific capacity across regions.

This broader mission was clearly visible at the International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC2026), held in Deauville, France, from 17–20 May 2026, where the Working Group on Particle Accelerators (WG14) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) launched the first Hackathonino — an interactive initiative designed to connect students, research infrastructures, and industry around real accelerator challenges.

Image above: The 1st Prize team: (E) Develop an educational idea to introduce students
to accelerator simulations, by Sverker Werin & Francesca Curbis, MAXIV
Maria Ünal, SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, PL
Helena Alamprese, Michigan State University, US
Hiiro Moriyama, University of Oxford, UK
Laury Batista, Paris Saclay University, CEA, FR
Weibo Hu, University of Science and Technology, CN
Wiktoria Wiatrowska, SOLARIS, PL


Supported by IUPAP WG14, the Accelerator Science and Technology Industry Permanent Forum (AIPF), Big Science Sweden, and industrial partners including ScandiNova, the Hackathonino demonstrated how relatively small, targeted initiatives can create lasting impact for the global accelerator and light-source community.

For organizations such as ESS, MAX IV, ESS , MAX IV , SNS, CERN, FZJ, University of Johannesburg and MIT, the event highlighted an increasingly important dimension of research infrastructures: their ability to serve as engines for capacity building, knowledge transfer, and international scientific development.

IUPAP and the Global Accelerator Community

As one of the official sponsors of IPAC, IUPAP has long played a central role in promoting international cooperation in physics. Through WG14, dedicated to particle accelerators, the organisation actively supports education, mobility, and collaboration across the global accelerator landscape.

The Hackathonino represented a practical example of this mission in action. Rather than focusing solely on conference presentations, the initiative created a space where students and early-career researchers could work directly on operational and scientific challenges inspired by major research infrastructures.

More than 65 students expressed interest in participating and were organised into multidisciplinary teams supported by mentors from laboratories, universities, and industry.

The Hackathonino focused on key accelerator-related themes connected to the broader missions of light sources and neutron facilities, including applications in Environment & Materials, Life Sciences, Energy, digitalisation, and accelerator operations. Nine challenges were prepared based on real research-infrastructure conditions and operational needs.

The challenges covered a broad and interdisciplinary spectrum, ranging from control-room first-fault identification and AI-assisted accelerator diagnostics to educational tools, new developments for accelerator infrastructures, medical accelerators, neutron scattering applications, large language models (LLMs), and quantum interfaces. Together, they reflected the diversity of expertise now required across modern accelerator-based facilities.

Students described the Hackathonino as a rare opportunity to collaborate across disciplines and sectors while gaining direct exposure to the research-infrastructure environment. “It was an amazing experience to work together with students, scientists, and industry around real accelerator challenges,” one participant commented. “We learned not only technical skills, but also much more about how research infrastructures operate and the career opportunities they offer.”

The initiative demonstrated how IUPAP can help create low-barrier, internationally accessible opportunities for young scientists to engage directly with accelerator-based science and technology.

ESS and Capacity Building Through Research Infrastructures

The Hackathonino also strongly reflected the broader mission of the European Spallation Source (ESS) and other major facilities: building sustainable scientific ecosystems that extend beyond a single laboratory.

As Europe’s next-generation neutron source, ESS is not only developing advanced accelerator and neutron technologies, but also investing heavily in competence development, training, digitalisation, and international collaboration. Events such as the Hackathonino align naturally with this vision by exposing students to real operational challenges while connecting them with experts across facilities and disciplines.

Several Hackathonino challenges were directly relevant to the evolving needs of neutron and synchrotron facilities, including reliability, diagnostics, AI-assisted operations, educational outreach, and knowledge transfer between laboratories. These are strategic areas where ESS, together with partner facilities such as MAX IV, contributes to a growing Nordic and European ecosystem for accelerator-based science.

The participation of students and mentors from different continents also reflected the international model on which ESS itself is built. Remote mentoring from institutions such as the University of Johannesburg and MIT demonstrated how expertise can be shared globally, independent of geography.

For emerging facilities and developing scientific communities, this type of distributed collaboration is increasingly important. It allows knowledge developed at large infrastructures to support broader international capacity building and helps create pathways into accelerator science for students who may not yet have direct access to major facilities.

2nd Prize Team: (B) RF window failure detection, by John Moss, Charles Peters, Sung-Woo Lee, SNS
Axel Perez Ruiz, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, Orsay, FR
Dinghui Su, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Shanghai, CN
Johan Lundquist, MAX IV/Lund University, Lund, SE
Joel Valerian, University of Melbourne, AU

Light Sources and Knowledge Transfer Across Regions

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the Hackathonino was the importance of transferring expertise across the global light-source community.

Several teams explored how operational experience and accelerator knowledge from established facilities could support newer or developing infrastructures. This theme culminated in the winning project, which focused on leveraging expertise from MAX IV to support education and accelerator design activities connected to the SESAME synchrotron in Jordan.

The project illustrated how facilities within the Lightsources.org community can contribute not only to scientific discovery, but also to regional scientific development and long-term human capacity building.

This model is closely aligned with the missions of both ESS and IUPAP: strengthening international scientific cooperation while creating opportunities for future generations of researchers and engineers.

For the light-source community, the Hackathonino also demonstrated the value of creating informal, highly collaborative environments where students can engage directly with real-world infrastructure challenges. Even within a short timeframe, participants produced solutions and concepts that impressed mentors, industry representatives, and the independent jury.

3rd Prize Team: (F) Decision-Making for a Compact Neutron Source (CANS) Upgrade Strategy, by Mina Akhyani (FZJ)
Jordan Byrne,
Aras Amini,
Oliver Betteridge,
Filip Peczek,

Building Future Scientific Ecosystems

The Hackathonino reinforced a broader lesson about modern accelerator-based facilities.

Research infrastructures such as ESS, MAX IV, ESRF, SOLARIS, and SESAME are far more than experimental platforms. They are ecosystems where science, technology, education, and industry intersect. By connecting students, researchers, engineers, and companies, they help create resilient international networks capable of addressing future scientific and societal challenges.

The initiative also showed that impactful capacity-building activities do not necessarily require large or complex structures. A lightweight and flexible format, supported by committed mentors and international organisations such as IUPAP, can already generate meaningful collaboration and long-term engagement.

As discussions begin around future editions of the Hackathonino, the event offers a promising model for how the accelerator and light-source community can continue strengthening international cooperation, supporting emerging talent, and expanding access to accelerator science worldwide.

In this sense, the Hackathonino was more than a student competition. It was a demonstration of how facilities like ESS and the broader Lightsources.org community can help shape the next generation of global scientific collaboration.

Find out more about IUPAP Working Group 14 here

Follow IUPAP on LinkedIn: IUPAP Accelerator Science Communication: Posts | LinkedIn

Nano-insights into bone stability

Nano-insights into bone stability

Fractures of the femoral neck are not simply due to insufficient bone density. Also significant is their nanostructure – the orientation of the collagen fibres that make up bones. This is suggested by research conducted by scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI using a new X-ray technique.

When people fracture their hip in a fall, it is very often in the femoral neck – the narrow section of bone directly below the hip joint. This often happens with advanced age, when the bone has lost density. Most often, the femoral neck fractures from the top side, where it is generally much more porous than on the underside.

However, this correlation is not always present: sometimes a femoral neck fractures even though it is not porous. Researchers at PSI have now discovered the possible cause, through special X-ray analyses using the Swiss Light Source SLS at PSI and measurements at the Swedish synchrotron MAX IV: an altered nanostructure of the bone.

New X-ray technique offers detailed insights

The team, led by Marianne Liebi, a scientist in the PSI Center for Photon Science, used a new imaging technique to examine two bone samples each from 78 different femoral necks. In each case one sample was taken from the top and one from the underside of the same femoral neck. The team obtained the samples from the University of Bern, whose experts participated in the analysis as part of a joint research project. The method is called small-angle X-ray scattering tensor tomography, or SAXS-TT for short. It combines the analysis of so-called small-angle scattering signals from a high-resolution X-ray image with 3-D tomography, that is, imaging from different angles. This method has been developed at PSI over the last ten years and tested for the analysis of various materials, including bone.

Read more on the PSI website

Image: Torne Tänzer and Marianne Liebi at the Swiss Light Source SLS at PSI. Here, they were able to visualise the nanostructure of femoral neck bone material for the first time. This could help to understand why this part of the femur fractures relatively frequently.

Credit: © Paul Scherrer Institute PSI/Markus Fischer

Synchrotron imaging helps reveal MOF–carbon monoliths for efficient CO2 capture

Synchrotron imaging helps reveal MOF–carbon monoliths for efficient CO2 capture

A team of researchers from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, the University of Ostrava, the POLYX beamline of SOLARIS, and collaborating institutions has published a study on new composite materials designed for carbon dioxide capture. The work focuses on UiO-66-NH2 crystals grown inside nitrogen-modified hierarchically porous carbon monoliths.

Carbon dioxide capture is one of the key challenges in the development of cleaner and more sustainable technologies. Porous materials are highly promising in this field because they can selectively adsorb CO₂ on their internal surfaces. In the present study, the researchers combined two complementary types of porous materials: a mechanically convenient carbon monolith with hierarchical porosity and a zirconium-based metal–organic framework, UiO-66-NH2, known for its stability and CO2 -affinity.

The carbon monoliths were modified using different nitrogen-functionalization strategies, which introduced a high concentration of amine and nitrogen-containing surface groups. Owing to these modifications, the resulting materials exhibited excellent CO2 uptake, particularly in the low-pressure region, where specific interactions between CO2 molecules and basic nitrogen sites play an important role.

Read more on the SOLARIS website

Image: Schematic illustration of UiO-66-NH2 crystals grown inside a hierarchically porous carbon monolith for CO2 capture, together with synchrotron-based μXRF mapping of zirconium distribution.

Expanding X-ray mirror metrology with speckle-based curvature optical metrology

Expanding X-ray mirror metrology with speckle-based curvature optical metrology

High-performance X-ray mirrors are fundamental to the operation of synchrotrons like Diamond Light Source, where their surface accuracy directly influences beam quality, focus and experimental performance. As beamline optics become increasingly sophisticated, with larger apertures, steeper curvatures and freeform geometries, new metrology approaches are needed to characterise these challenging optical surfaces.

A team of researchers at Diamond’s Optics and Metrology group have developed a laser Speckle-based Curvature Optical Metrology (SCOM) instrument that directly measures two-dimensional surface curvature. Instead of measuring the mirror’s height directly, SCOM measures it curvature using laser speckle patterns- tiny random patterns created when laser light is scattered on a surface. By tracking how these patterns move, the instrument can build up a detailed picture of the mirror’s shape.  

Measuring challenging optical surfaces 

Interferometric techniques remain the gold standard for measuring flat and gently curved optics. However, strongly curved mirrors present significant challenges, as steep slopes can lead to fringe crowding and unstable measurements. SCOM addresses this by using laser speckle patterns as wavefront markers. A digital image correlation algorithm tracks subtle speckle displacements to determine surface curvature with high sensitivity.  The instrument has demonstrated reliable measurements for mirrors with radii of curvature ranging from 10 metres down to just 100 millimetres – surfaces that are particularly challenging for conventional interferometers. 

Dr Hongchang Wang, Principal Optics Scientist and leading and corresponding author of the study, said: “Strongly curved and freeform mirrors are becoming increasingly important for advanced beamline designs, yet they remain difficult to measure with traditional interferometry. SCOM provides a practical and robust solution that expands our metrology capabilities.” 

Read more on the Diamond website

Image: Dr Hongchang Wang is aligning the optics for the measurement with SCOM system

Abundant catalyst converts methane into valuable liquid chemicals

Abundant catalyst converts methane into valuable liquid chemicals

Low-cost sulfur-tolerant compound could convert wasted natural gas into easily transportable commodity chemicals and fuels

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and their collaborators have demonstrated a promising new approach for converting methane — the primary component of natural gas — into liquid chemicals that are precursors for many industrial chemicals and fuels. The research, described in a paper just published in Advanced Functional Materials, shows how molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), an earth-abundant industrial catalyst, can be used with minimal tweaking to selectively convert methane into methyl peroxide and other liquid oxygenate compounds at temperatures below 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius). Methyl peroxide is a precursor for making methanol, an energy-dense liquid fuel that can be transported easily.

“The fact that this catalyst is an earth-abundant, domestically sourced material could change the game for converting natural gas into liquid chemicals,” said Brookhaven Lab chemist Sanjaya Senanayake, a corresponding author on the publication. “The catalyst achieves very high yields and high specificity for making important precursors for methanol and a wide range of other industrial processes.”

The project is part of a long-term strategy of the Catalysis: Reactivity and Structure group in Brookhaven Lab’s Chemistry Division to develop methane-conversion catalysts and processes. This group includes co-authors Senanayake, chemist Juan Jiménez, and research associate Arephin Islam — all co-authors on the new publication.

Read more on the Brookhaven National Laboratory website

Image: Steven Farrell, Juan Jimenez, and Sanjaya Senanayake stand at the Inner Shell Spectroscopy (ISS) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II. They used X-ray spectroscopy at this beamline to reveal structural and electronic characteristics of molybdenum atoms in a molybdenum disulfide catalyst they developed to convert methane to valuable liquid chemicals.

Credit: David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory

Scientists uncover unexpected method of bone regeneration, opening doors for osteoporosis treatment

Scientists uncover unexpected method of bone regeneration, opening doors for osteoporosis treatment

Researchers from University of Saskatchewan, University of Southern Denmark discover tissue regrowth in trabecular bone, which makes up 20% of skeleton.

Our bodies completely overhaul our bones every seven to 10 years, breaking down old or damaged bone tissue, and replacing it with new bone. Experts have long thought there were four processes through which bones regenerate.

Now researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) have discovered a fifth way that tissue rebuilds in specific parts of some of our bones. What they found, using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at USask, deepens our understanding of bone health and could lead to new bone-strengthening treatments for osteoporosis.

Trabecular bone, also known as spongy or cancellous bone, is the porous, honeycomb-like tissue found at the ends of long bones (like the thigh bone) and in the center of flat and irregular bones (like vertebrae of the spine). It makes up roughly 20% of the adult skeleton and is vital for absorbing shock and supporting joints. It had long been assumed the holes or canals in trabecular bone visible on biopsies was evidence of bone loss caused by chronic kidney disease or disorders related to parathyroid hormone, which controls calcium levels in our blood.

Read more on the CLS website

Image: Micro-CT image of human bone sample

The day the Herculaneum scrolls began speaking…

The day the Herculaneum scrolls began speaking…

The Vesuvius Challenge has achieved a historic discovery in the Herculaneum scrolls, revealing new texts, titles and authors unknown to history and ushering in a new era for the study of the ancient world. The discovery was made possible through high-resolution micro-CT scanning conducted at the ESRF and Diamond Lightsource in the UK.

“For nearly two millennia, many of these texts have been physically preserved but intellectually inaccessible,” Brent Seales, Vesuvius Challenge co-founder and the Stanley and Karen Pigman Chair of Heritage Science at University of Kentucky, says. “Today — after years of interdisciplinary work combining advanced imaging, artificial intelligence (AI), academic research and an innovation contest — we are finally able to read them.”

One of the oldest scrolls in the collection

Among the most significant findings announced is the recovery of substantial new text from PHerc. 1667 — a scroll housed in Naples, Italy.

The Vesuvius Challenge team has now virtually unwrapped the surviving portion of the scroll — revealing nearly 1.5 meters of continuous text and approximately 20 columns of writing.

“This scroll was deemed completely unreadable when part of it was opened in the 1980s,” Federica Nicolardi, assistant professor in papyrology at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, said.

“The scroll’s handwriting and internal references suggest the artifact dates from the second century B.C. or possibly from the late third century B.C. — making it one of the oldest scrolls in the collection,” she explained.

While the title and author remain unknown, both the early dating and its contents suggest a writer other than Philodemus of Gadara — the Greek philosopher whose works predominate the discoveries from Herculaneum papyri to date. 

A philosophical -stoic?- treatise

According to the papyrological team’s analysis, the text does appear to be a philosophical treatise concerned with ethics, arts and human behavior, likely reflecting Stoic thought. 

The recovered text preserves discussions of core Stoic concepts, including ὁρμή (hormē), or impulse, understood as the drive to act common to both humans and animals. The author appears to warn against excessive impulse — ὁ πλεoνασμός κατὰ τὴν ὁρμήν (ho pleonasmos kata tēn hormēn — when reason fails to regulate behavior and leads to a harmful passion or diversion from one’s goals.

Another key concept is φρόνησις (phronēsis), or practical wisdom — the set of intellectual activities that guide one to make the right choices and to choose virtues over vices.

Read more on the ESRF website

Image: The scrolls from Herculaneum

Credit: EduceLab

SLAC researchers ‘watch’ molecules steered by laser light

SLAC researchers ‘watch’ molecules steered by laser light

Using the powerful LCLS X-ray laser, they directly imaged for the first time how molecules rearranged during a chemical reaction controlled by light.

Key takeaways:

  • For the first time, researchers have imaged a molecule undergoing a coherently controlled chemical reaction – a reaction steered with pulses of laser light.
  • Powerful X-ray pulses from the LCLS are routinely used to visualize how a molecule’s atoms rearrange in real time during a reaction initiated by a laser pulse, but here, with the help of a novel analysis method, the researchers imaged a reaction that was controlled by a third pulse.
  • This approach could help researchers understand and eventually control light-activated reactions in photochemistry, catalysis, and light-responsive materials. 

Since the 1980s, researchers have sought to use laser light to control chemical reactions relevant to photochemistry, catalysis and light-responsive materials. But this technique, known as coherent control, has a blind spot: There hasn’t been a way to directly see the molecules in these reactions as their structures rearrange. 

Now, researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have imaged a coherently controlled chemical reaction for the first time. Their work, published in Physical Review A, uses ultrafast X-rays from the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) to show in real time how atoms move in a molecule that was excited and manipulated with laser light. 

“There are many challenges with controlling chemical reactions, but seeing is believing,” said study lead author Tom Hopper, assistant professor at the University of Central Florida who was a postdoc at SLAC at the time of the study. “If you can see something directly, it opens up a new level of control.”

Illuminating a blind spot

What makes coherent control so tricky is that the molecule being manipulated with laser light will eventually deviate from the desired pathway. If researchers can see the molecule’s structural evolution in real time, they can start to put together a picture of when and how this happens, which may help them figure out how to prevent it.

One of the simplest and most successful methods of coherent control is the “pump-dump scheme.” This involves hitting a molecule with two laser pulses: A “pump” pulse first excites the molecule, initiating the reaction, followed by a “dump” pulse that nudges the reaction down a certain pathway.

Read more on the SLAC website

Image: This illustration shows a pump–dump–probe sequence of ultrafast laser and X-ray pulses used to control and image a chemical reaction. The pump laser pulse excites molecules within a sample and initiates a chemical reaction. It is followed by a second laser pulse, the dump pulse, that nudges the reaction down a certain pathway. Finally, an X-ray probe pulse traverses the sample at varying stages of the chemical reaction. The scattered X-rays create diffraction patterns on a detector (at right). The changing patterns contain information about the molecular structure and how it evolves during the reaction. 

Credit:  Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

ESRF and DESY join forces to build a European software ecosystem for photon science

ESRF and DESY join forces to build a European software ecosystem for photon science

On the eve of the 86th meeting of the ESRF Council, hosted by DESY in Hamburg, The ESRF, the European synchrotron located in Grenoble, and DESY, the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration in the development of advanced software, data and computing technologies for photon science. Both operating world-leading high-energy synchrotron facilities, the two research centres are combining their complementary expertise to build a sustainable European software ecosystem that can support current and future generations of synchrotron and photon science facilities – a collaborative effort designed from the outset to welcome broader participation from research infrastructures across Europe.

At a time when scientific competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to develop, deploy and maintain sophisticated software infrastructures, the ESRF and DESY are combining their expertise to advance shared solutions for beamline control, data acquisition, data analysis and scientific computing — with the ambition of creating the foundations for a community-driven European ecosystem that can evolve sustainably and respond to the growing needs of photon science.

DESY and the ESRF share a long-standing and productive partnership across multiple scientific and technological domains. This year, as the ESRF celebrates six years of successful operation of ESRF-EBS, the first of a new kind of fourth-generation high-energy synchrotrons, and as DESY progresses with the PETRA IV upgrade towards the brightest of synchrotron facilities, this new MoU reflects the strategic complementarity of the two research infrastructures. Together, they bring expertise spanning facility operation, instrumentation, software engineering, data management and scientific computing, creating a strong foundation for the development of common solutions for the benefit of the wider scientific community.

Read more on the ESRF website

Image: The signature ceremony of the MoU

Credit: Marta Mayer, DESY

Ultra-Rapid Diagnostic Platform for Selective Detection of Infectious Viruses Within 5 Minutes

Ultra-Rapid Diagnostic Platform for Selective Detection of Infectious Viruses Within 5 Minutes

Summary

A research team led by Dr. Jaecheol Park and Dr. Hojun Kim at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), in collaboration with Prof. Seung-Jung Ki of Chonnam National University Hospital, developed FUSION, an ultra-rapid diagnostic platform capable of selectively detecting infectious viruses within 5 minutes. The platform employs virus-targeting lipid nanoparticles (VEACON)1 loaded with CRISPR2 gene-editing components, enabling direct detection of viral RNA through simple mixing, without complex sample preparation. Using synchrotron X-ray analysis, the researchers revealed that membrane fusion is accelerated by electrostatic interactions, leading to highly enhanced CRISPR activity within a confined nanoscale volume. The platform demonstrated sensitive detection of multiple viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV, and was further adapted into a sprayable system for real-time visualization of viral contamination on surfaces.

Background

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of viral infections is essential for preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)3 is currently the most widely used diagnostic method. Although PCR is highly sensitive and capable of detecting even trace amounts of viral genetic material, it requires multiple sample preparation steps, including nucleic acid extraction4, which limits its suitability for rapid point-of-care testing. In addition, PCR may produce positive results from residual viral RNA fragments (RNA remnants) derived from noninfectious viruses, potentially leading to unnecessary isolation measures and associated socioeconomic costs. This study aimed to overcome these limitations of conventional diagnostic technologies. The researchers focused on membrane fusion5, a critical process through which viruses enter host cells. Based on this mechanism, they sought to develop a diagnostic platform capable of selectively recognizing intact, infectious viruses and autonomously generating detection signals. Ultimately, the goal was to establish a simple and rapid diagnostic method that enables virus detection by merely mixing a detection solution with a sample, without requiring complex sample preparation procedures.

Methodology

The research team developed VEACON (Virus Entry-Activated CRISPR Operating Nanoparticle), a 120 nm lipid-membrane6 nanoparticle functionalized with virus-specific receptors and loaded with CRISPR-Cas13a complexes7. To investigate the mechanism of virus detection, synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis8 at Pohang Accelerator Laboratory was employed to quantitatively monitor membrane fusion between VEACON and target viruses. The study revealed that increasing the proportion of cationic lipids on the nanoparticle surface enhanced membrane fusion through electrostatic interactions. The researchers further compared responses to infectious viruses and heat- or chemically inactivated viruses lacking fusion capability, confirming that signal generation occurred selectively through membrane fusion. In addition, the platform was validated using 100 nasopharyngeal swab9 clinical samples to assess its diagnostic performance under real-world conditions.

Read more on the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory website

Image: Schematic illustration of a sprayable membrane fusion-based detection system for visualizing viral contamination on surfaces

Scientists unlock 40-year-old mystery of the vitamin B2 nanofactory

Scientists unlock 40-year-old mystery of the vitamin B2 nanofactory

An international research consortium, led by Dr. Hab. Yusuke Azuma from the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology at Jagiellonian University has uncovered how bacteria package enzymes into nanoscale “cages” for efficient vitamin B2 production. The findings, published in Nature Communications, reveal an elegant mechanism underlying this highly specialized biochemical system.

A molecular cage for vitamin B2 production

At the heart of the discovery lies an enzyme-based “cage” in which vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is produced. While humans and animals must obtain this nutrient from food such as mushrooms, which are particularly rich in vitamin B2, other organisms can synthesize it themselves. The enzyme packaging mechanisms into a protein cage is not widespread and is found only in certain bacteria, making it especially intriguing from evolutionary perspectives. Unlike eukaryotic cells, bacteria lack membrane-bound organelles, which is probably why they use proteins for compartmentalization of biochemical processes. Such spatial organization of enzymes provides a means for efficient vitamin biosynthesis within complex cellular environments.

Breakthrough discovery: rare “open” cage
The vitamin B2 biosynthesis compartment was first identified in a soil bacterium in the 1980s. An enzyme, lumazine synthase, forms a hollow cage-like structure that encapsulates another enzyme riboflavin synthase. Since then, scientists have struggled to observe how they are formed. Standard approaches such as X-ray crystallography all failed.

– “For years, we knew this system existed, but we did not understand how it worked. It was like looking at a closed cage without a key to open it,” says the leading author Dr. Łukasz Koziej from MCB.

Read more on the SOLARIS website

Image: Illustrative photo of forest mushrooms

Credit:  Arkadiusz Dobosz

A simple chemical tweak to make sodium-ion batteries last longer

A simple chemical tweak to make sodium-ion batteries last longer

A research team led by CIC energiGUNE, in collaboration with the ALBA Synchrotron, has shown through multi-scale X-ray analysis that partially replacing manganese (Mn) with iron (Fe) in Prussian white —a low-cost green battery material— prevents structural degradation and paves the way for sustainable and long-lasting batteries.

Building cheaper, greener batteries is only half the challenge; making them last through hundreds of charge–discharge cycles is equally critical. A team of researchers from Spain and France, led by CIC energiGUNE, has tackled this problem in sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries by improving Prussian white, an easy-to-synthesize, environmentally friendly material. Using the ALBA Synchrotron, they have discovered how a simple chemical modification can dramatically extend battery lifespan.

For Na-ion batteries to compete with lithium-ion technology —the current prevailing technology— highly cost efficient and more sustainable cathode materials are needed. Prussian white materials containing manganese (Mn) are particularly promising because their performance rivals that of lithium batteries. Their Achilles’ heel, however, is poor long-term durability. During charging, Mn undergoes oxidation, which triggers a local structural distortion. This distortion causes large volume changes, leading to severe structural degradation and rapid capacity loss.

The research team hypothesized that partially replacing Mn with iron (Fe) could stabilize the material over time. The results were striking: the modified material retained 93% of its original charge capacity after 50 cycles, compared to just 62% for the unaltered version. But the real breakthrough was understanding why.

Read more on the ALBA website

How electrons actually behave in warm dense matter

How electrons actually behave in warm dense matter

Widely used models mispredict collective electron oscillations in warm dense aluminium, study shows

Researchers at European XFEL, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Rostock University and other collaborating institutions have used high-precision experiments to demonstrate that the most widely used models for the behaviour of electrons in warm dense matter are inaccurate. Warm dense matter is challenging to study but also of key importance for a plethora of research, including the investigation of planetary interiors, material science, and laser fusion experiments. The study has been published in Physical Review Letters. 

In warm dense matter, electron density oscillates. The collective oscillations are called plasmons. They carry important information and can be observed using X-rays, resulting in scattering spectra – abstract images captured by a detector. In many experiments, these spectra are interpreted using simplified uniform electron gas models. However, the new measurements show that, for warm dense aluminium, these models consistently overestimate the plasmon energy by up to about 25 per cent (about 8 electronvolts) and fail to reproduce the full measured shape of the signal.

“Our measurements are precise enough to clearly distinguish between competing models,” says Thomas Preston of European XFEL. “That is important because these models are widely used to diagnose extreme states of matter. If the model is incorrect, that leads to inaccurately inferred properties.” The electron behaviour affects predictions of opacity, optical properties, electrical conductivity, and energy transport, for instance.

Read more on the European XFEL website

Image: Experimental setup at the HED-HIBEF instrument

Credit: European XFEL

The liquid tech of self-healing batteries

The liquid tech of self-healing batteries

Materials scientists seek to develop better lithium (Li) metal batteries by improving structural stability and reducing dendrite formation that causes battery failure. It is well-known that instability at the metal electrode-electrolyte interface causes lithium dendrite growth, leading to short-circuiting and formation of inactive lithium. New electrolyte designs that control lithium deposition during cycling may solve these issues. Researchers are investigating liquid crystalline (LC) electrolytes under different conditions at MAX IV’s ForMAX beamline to determine whether these electrolytic materials are possible to align on demand. Successful results hold promise to propel the development of Li metal batteries as a next-generation power solution for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

The study examines a foundational idea that the organised molecular structure and chemistry of LC electrolytes allow for ‘self-healing’ of the battery interfaces whereas conventional solvent-based liquid electrolytes fail. “LC electrolytes introduce an additional energy contribution for dendrite nucleation due to their strong anchoring energy and are therefore expected to supress the growth of dendrites from the electrode-electrolyte interface,” explained Owies Wani, study author and postdoctoral fellow at Aalto University. “Besides, due to their fluid nature, they can potentially flow into the crack formed in the interface upon cycling of the battery and thereby form a new healed interface.”  

The experimental phase included structural measurements of sample LC electrolytes with small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) at ForMAX beamline to look at colloidal and molecular processes with applied stimuli of shear force at different temperatures. A rheometer supplies the force to align the material structure from a polydomain to a monodomain, which potentially creates straight, directed channels for efficient Li ion transport in the battery, thereby boosting ionic conductivity.

The group carried out three simultaneous measurements: rheology, SWAXS and polarized light imaging. “This was instrumental to understand the dynamic shear induced alignment in our LC electrolytes at different length scales,” explained Wani.

Read more on the MAX IV website

Image: From left) Bin Zhao, Xiaodan Hong, Mario Bello Piedrahita, Maximilian Hagemann, Owies Wani, Patrice Rannou and Zhongpeng Lyu.

Credit: Owies Wani