Protein Crystallography Station Nearing Completion at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE)

Summary

BER initiated a station for protein crystallography using neutrons at LANSCE in 1997 to provide a capability for structural biology otherwise not available in the United States. The station was assembled in time to collect data before LANSCE shut down for upgrading in December 2000, enabling calculation of beam properties and brief tests on crystals of glycine and myoglobin. The tests have now been evaluated and show generally favorable performance, although the data acquisition software will need further work to achieve the counting rates anticipated for the station in normal operation. These tests were done using a temporary detector, as the new very large area detector for the station is just now being completed at Brookhaven National Laboratory. It is expected to be installed in May, in time to begin commissioning of the station when the facility starts up again in the summer.