[3dem] Biology infrastructure at the XFEL

[Philipp Heuser]

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the European X-ray 
Free Electron Laser (XFEL) at DESY, Hamburg, Germany, have a keen 
interest in the development of FEL-based applications in structural 
biology. Within this framework the EMBL, together with international 
collaborators from Russia, Sweden and Germany, propose to construct a 
biology infrastructure at the XFEL facility (expected completion in 
2016) to enable biological experiments using the high brilliance, 
ultrashort pulse duration and high repetition rate coherent X-ray radiation.

The proposed biological sample infrastructure facility will provide:
- support to the international life-science community in generation and 
handling of challenging samples in immediate proximity to XFEL instruments.
- appropriate selection, quality control and evaluation of samples, 
including correlative imaging, immediately prior to XFEL experiments.
- standardized technology for data interpretation, including computation 
and validation of structural models.

In order to ensure efficient operation of the facility and provide 
optimal services for the international biological community we seek your 
input to identify the requirements necessary to support these novel 
biological imaging experiments. We would appreciate your input in the 
web-based questionnaire available at 
http://www.embl-hamburg.de/xfel_cgi-bin/questionnaire

The results of this survey will be used to identify the most pressing 
needs that should be taken into account during planning and construction 
of the infrastructure.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

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Dr Philipp Heuser
Postdoctoral fellow

EMBL-Hamburg c/o Building 25A, DESY
Notkestrasse 85
22603 Hamburg

phone:   +49 40 89902 182
fax:     +49 40 89902 149
mail:    philipp.heuser at embl-hamburg.de
web:     www.philipp-heuser.de

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