SLAC topics

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X-ray studies at SLAC facilities help scientists understand the fundamental workings of nature by probing matter in atomic detail.

atoms forming a tentative bond

News Feature

An LCLS imaging technique reveals how a mosquito-borne bacterium deploys a toxin to kill mosquito larvae. Scientists hope to harness it to fight disease.

A photograph of mosquito larvae.
News Feature

Hitting molecules with two photons of light at once set off unexpected processes that were captured in detail with SLAC’s X-ray laser. Scientists say...

Closeup image of molecular movie frames
News Brief

The 1950s and ‘60s poisoning event was long attributed to methylmercury, but studies at SLAC suggest a different compound was to blame. The findings...

Illustration of toxic waste being dumped from a pipe, a molecule, and a map showing the location of Minamata, Japan.
News Feature

A better understanding of this phenomenon, which is crucial to many processes that occur in biological systems and materials, could enable researchers to develop...

photoexcitation
News Brief

These inexpensive photosensitizers could make solar power and chemical manufacturing more efficient. Experiments at SLAC offer insight into how they work.

Illustration of carbene reaction pathways
News Feature

In regions that lack the resources to treat the contaminated water, it can lead to disease, cancer, and even death.

Electrode tank
News Feature

Siqi Li develops connections with people and concepts while working on new technologies for accelerators.

Siqi Li headshot
News Brief

Discovered at SLAC and Stanford, this new class of unconventional superconductors is starting to give up its secrets – including a surprising 3D metallic...

Graphic showing electronic structure of nickelate superconductor
News Feature

What they learned could lead to a better understanding of how ionizing radiation can damage material systems, including cells.

Radiolysis
News Brief

A new understanding of the nucleation process could shed light on how the shells help microbes interact with their environments, and help people design...

Illustration of tiles forming a microbial shell
News Brief

What they learned could lead to a better understanding of how antibiotics are broken down in the body, potentially leading to the development of...

News Brief

A new study uncovers how a critical protein binds to drugs used to treat asthma and other inflammatory diseases.

Anti-asthmatic drugs