Time-resolved structural studies at synchrotrons and X-ray free electron lasers: opportunities and challenges

• X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) are potentially revolutionary X-ray sources because of their very short pulse duration, extreme peak brilliance and high spatial coherence, features that distinguish them from today's synchrotron sources. We review recent time-resolved Laue diffraction and time-resolved wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) studies at synchrotron sources, and initial static studies at XFELs. XFELs have the potential to transform the field of time-resolved structural biology, yet many challenges arise in devising and adapting hardware, experimental design and data analysis strategies to exploit their unusual properties. Despite these challenges, we are confident that XFEL sources are poised to shed new light on ultrafast protein reaction dynamics.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

photoactive yellow protein

photosynthetic reaction-center

serial

femtosecond crystallography

laue diffraction

carbonmonoxy-myoglobin

solution scattering

dynamics

nanocrystallography

resolution

bacteriorhodopsin

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)