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Tiny microbes and molecular machines have an outsized impact on human health, and they play key roles in the vast global cycles that shape climate and make carbon and nitrogen available to all living things. 

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Science of life

This illustration shows arrestin, an important type of signaling protein

News Feature

Derived from microscopic algae, the rare, light-driven enzyme converts fatty acids into starting ingredients for solvents and fuels.

Illustration of molecular structure of an enzyme that is powered by sunlight
News Brief

Two groups of researchers drew on SLAC tools to better understand how to target a key part of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Illustration of SARS-CoV-2, a round ball with spikes.
News Feature

SSRL and LCLS scientists will help visiting research teams solve their experimental challenges, then apply what they’ve learned to help others work more efficiently.

Diagram of a complex molecule
News Feature

Scientists get dramatically better resolution at X-ray free-electron lasers with a new technique.

timingjitter
News Feature

Stanford EM-X brings hundreds of researchers around the world together to discuss the latest methods and discoveries from electron microscopes.

Black and white electron microscope images of pollen.
News Feature

G6PD deficiency affects about 400M people worldwide and can pose serious health risks. Uncovering the causes of the most severe cases could finally lead...

G6PD enzyme in red blood cell
News Feature

The results suggest a possible feedback that could help trap carbon in the ocean’s low-oxygen zones, but the impact on climate change remains unclear.

Scientists watch from a ship deck as a sample is hauled in from the ocean.
News Feature

Researchers at Stanford are working to develop a single-dose vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 that could potentially be stored at room temperature.

The ferritin nanoparticle, shown with red center and six blue spikes.
News Feature

The study, done on a mild-mannered relative of the virus that causes COVID-19, paves the way for seeing more clearly how spike proteins initiate...

Illustration of a coronavirus spike
News Feature

The lab’s X-ray laser recently joined other facilities in making remote science possible from any corner of the world, a trend that will likely...

Remote experiments in the control room at LCLS
News Feature

The results of a new scientific study reveal how photosynthetic reaction centers adapt to make light-driven reactions more efficient.

photosynthesis header
News Feature

A better understanding of how this happens could help researchers hone future electronic measurements and offer insights into how X-rays interact with matter on...

Image - Artist's rendering of two laser beams striking sample.