Recent News
Structural element and center of activity
In a series of studies to relate metal-center protein environments to structure and function, a research team from EMSL and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is using EMSL’s NWChem computational chemistry software and NMR spectroscopy to derive a molecular theory that describes the electronic environment of the metal-amino acid motif, zinc coordinated to four cysteines. Full Story
New cell for mass spectrometer speeds accurate ion identification
When studying proteins, scientists need instruments that provide reliable, accurate measurements. A new trapped-ion cell, designed and developed at the Department of Energy’s EMSL, provides a two-fold improvement in mass accuracy. This increased accuracy allows scientists to more confidently analyze highly complex mixtures and distinguish between nearly identical molecules in samples. Full Story
Subatomic particles get philosophical
Researchers are putting a new twist on an elemental analysis capability, using proton-induced X-ray emission at EMSL to help decipher text on ancient scrolls. The scrolls, believed to be written in Greek and contain Epicurean philosophy, were part of the library of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law in the city of Herculaneum. Full Story
EMSL user Smith named AVS Fellow
A user of the Department of Energy’s EMSL, Dick Smith—physics professor at Montana State University—was selected as a Fellow in the AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing. Full Story
Scientists solve structure of a mysterious protein found in cyanobacteria
Scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory have determined the crystal structure for the 78-residue protein cce_0567 from the cyanobacteria Cyanothece sp. PCC 51142. The nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift assignments for cce_0567 were made using EMSL’s 500-, 600-, 750-, and 800-MHz NMR spectrometers Full Story
MRI bioreactor aids in understanding the physiology of live cells
A first-of-its-kind MRI bioreactor, developed at the Department of Energy's EMSL, provides accurate metabolic information for live cells maintained in a controlled growth environment. Full Story
