Testing how accurately X-ray lasers can measure the inner workings of biological molecules
Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 08:00
in Physics & Chemistry
One of the great advantages of X-ray free-electron lasers like the one at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is that they allow researchers to determine the structure of biological molecules in natural environments. This is important if you want to study how a potential new drug interacts with a virus in conditions similar to those found in the human body. By hitting these samples with ultrashort X-ray laser pulses, scientists can collect data in the instant before damage from the X-rays has time to propagate through the sample.