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Let There Be (More) Light
One of the world’s first synchrotron facilities—the
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) at
Stanford University in California—received a $58
million upgrade, thanks to NCRR, the National Institute
of General Medical Sciences, and the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE). The upgrade project essentially rebuilt
the existing storage ring—the machine in which
electrons circulate at nearly the speed of light, producing
visible and invisible forms of light called synchrotron
radiation. This venture, which increased the brightness
of the synchrotron radiation by one or two orders of
magnitude, was begun in 1999 and completed in mid-December
2003, three months ahead of schedule and within budget.
It involved removing 1 million pounds of old equipment,
installing 1.25 million pounds of new equipment (including
290 magnets), and laying 68 miles of new cable. A dedication
ceremony, held on January 29, 2004, featured presentations
by Stanford’s president, representatives from
the funding agencies, the mayor of Palo Alto, and the
SSRL director.
Synchrotron radiation at SSRL is used by NIH researchers
to understand the structures of biological molecules
through macromolecular crystallography, X-ray absorption
scattering, and small-angle scattering. In anticipation
of the storage ring upgrade, NCRR and the DOE/Office
of Biological and Environmental Research have additionally
invested in major improvements of the SSRL beamlines
and experimental stations over the last 5 years to maximize
utilization of the brighter X-rays. Each year, about
1,700 scientists from around the country use synchrotron
X-rays at SSRL to solve biomolecular structures that
have an impact on the design of new medicines, increase
the understanding of how molecular systems work, and
provide pictures and insights into molecular machines.
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