Biological Sciences
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Scales of Time
Explore the fourth dimension, from processes that occur in billions of years down to tiny slivers of a second.
What is a Femtosecond?
Ryan Coffee, scientist at the Linac Coherent Light Source, explains in a video interview.
Femtosecond Week
SLAC celebrates five days of ultrafast science.
Scientists Watch a Molecule Protect Itself from Radiation Damage
The study at SLAC’s X-ray laser was a step toward understanding how DNA defends itself from breakage and potential mutations.
X-Ray Study Reveals Long-Sought Insights Into Potential Drug Target
X-ray studies have produced surprising insights into the workings of a hormone receptor associated with blood pressure regulation that could be a target for new medicines related to cardiovascular conditions, neuropathic pain and tissue growth.
New Droplet-on-Tape Method Assists Biochemical Research at X-Ray Lasers
A research collaboration designed a new assembly-line system that rapidly replaces exposed samples and allows the team to study reactions in real-time.
‘Brighter Than A Billion Suns’: SLAC Studies Featured in TEDx Talk
Paleontologist Phil Manning describes the “Imaging Life on Earth” project at TEDxCharleston.
New, Detailed Snapshots Capture Photosynthesis at Room Temperature
New X-ray methods have captured the highest resolution room-temperature images of photosystem II.
X-ray Laser Gets First Real-time Snapshots of a Chemical Flipping a Biological Switch
Scientists used SLAC's LCLS X-ray laser to make the first snapshots of a chemical interaction between two biomolecules. It changes the shape of millions of molecular switches almost instantaneously, like synchronized swimmers performing the same move.
Scientists, Interns Bring Structural Biology’s ‘Magic Bullet’ Technique to X-ray Lasers
The team determined the 3-D structure of a biomolecule by tagging it with selenium atoms and taking hundreds of thousands of images.
