The new NCPSS BL19U2 beamline at the SSRF for small-angle X-ray scattering from biological macromolecules in solution.

Na Li,Chunxia Hong,Rongguang Zhang,Fenggang Bian,Xiuhong Li,Hongjin Wu,Guangfeng Liu,Yuzhu Wang,Ping Zhou

doi:10.1107/s160057671601195x

Abstract

The beamline BL19U2 is located in the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) and is its first beamline dedicated to biological material small-angle X-ray scattering (BioSAXS). The electrons come from an undulator which can provide high brilliance for the BL19U2 end stations. A double flat silicon crystal (111) monochromator is used in BL19U2, with a tunable monochromatic photon energy ranging from 7 to 15 keV. To meet the rapidly growing demands of crystallographers, biochemists and structural biologists, the BioSAXS beamline allows manual and automatic sample loading/unloading. A Pilatus 1M detector (Dectris) is employed for data collection, characterized by a high dynamic range and a short readout time. The highly automated data processing pipeline SASFLOW was integrated into BL19U2, with help from the BioSAXS group of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL, Hamburg), which provides a user-friendly interface for data processing. The BL19U2 beamline was officially opened to users in March 2015. To date, feedback from users has been positive and the number of experimental proposals at BL19U2 is increasing. A description of the new BioSAXS beamline and the setup characteristics is given, together with examples of data obtained.

Highlights

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has been employed for a long time in polymer and materials science (Guinier, 1969), and its popularity in biology has experienced a steady growth attributed to the availability of synchrotron sources and the novel data analysis methods developed for biological macromolecules in solution (Svergun & Koch, 2003; Nagar & Kuriyan, 2005; Petoukhov et al, 2012)
The decision to build the BL19U2 beamline of the National Centre for Protein Science Shanghai (NCPSS), located on an undulator of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) storage ring, was taken in 2011
SASFLOW pipeline was integrated into the BL19U2 beamline in May 2015 with help from the biological small-angle X-ray scattering (BioSAXS) group of the EMBL, Hamburg

Summary

Introduction

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has been employed for a long time in polymer and materials science (Guinier, 1969), and its popularity in biology has experienced a steady growth attributed to the availability of synchrotron sources and the novel data analysis methods developed for biological macromolecules in solution (Svergun & Koch, 2003; Nagar & Kuriyan, 2005; Petoukhov et al, 2012). After the data design for variable length (0.5–7 m) and is mounted on collection, the sample is either flushed to waste or recovered, motorized supporting platforms (y – lateral, z – vertical) Two and this is followed by a subsequent automated washing cycle pairs of scatterless guard slits (from Xenocs, Sassenage) are for cleaning of the sample capillary. 1430 Na Li et al The new BioSAXS beamline at the SSRF automated sample loading system control; (iii) Pilatus 1M detector data collection control; and (iv) real-time transmitted-beam intensity recording. The control of the Pilatus detector is completely integrated into the SSRF EPICS software, which can simultaneously trigger data collection during sample exposure (Fig. 4).

Data example

Sample preparation laboratory

Methods

Discussion and conclusions