Canadian Light Source Inc. / Centre canadien de rayonnement synchrotron

Last week marked a significant milestone when our staff lowered and installed accelerating sections of the #newlinac in our basement, along with numerous other crucial components. This pivotal step paved the way for the advancements we’ve seen this week. Our hard-working team has made substantial progress on installing waveguides and cooling components. Why is all of this necessary you ask? The purpose of the linear accelerator (linac) is to speed up a beam of electrons so we can create synchrotron light for scientific discoveries. The linac accelerating sections form a long pipe with radiofrequency (RF) waves inside that transfer energy to the electrons, which increases their speed. You can picture the electrons as surfers riding the RF waves. 🏄 This is so effective that the linac can get the electrons moving at nearly the speed of light! The RF waves are generated by pairs of devices known as “low-level RF generators” and “modulators.” Our team installed new versions of these devices last month. The low-level RF generators create a small amount of RF power at a specific frequency that the modulators then amplify (to make the waves more powerful). 🌊 These amplified RF waves are directed to where they need to be in the accelerating sections by waveguides. Every component involved in this process generates a substantial amount of heat. For this reason, we need cooling components to keep the equipment from overheating or expanding. Water is our friend here. 💦 We use cool water to regulate the temperature of all of these components and ensure optimal performance. Learn more about the #newlinac project: https://bit.ly/4aKQVCM

#OnTheBeamlines: To meet the demands of a hungry world, in the last few years the use of nitrogen fertilizer to get more crop yield has increased dramatically with a negative impact on the environment and surface waters. University of Guelph researcher Adam Gillespie and his PhD student Sevendeep Kaur are working to develop an efficient way to estimate how much nitrogen is available in soil for plant uptake. They have used our SGM beamline to study the nitrogen chemistry and dynamics to widen our understanding of available nitrogen in soil and how its release is affected by many agricultural management strategies. This research project is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Photos: Adam Gillespie (top) and Sevendeep Kaur.

🌟 Are you a science keener who wants a technical tour inside our synchrotron machine? Now’s your chance! In July and August, we are offering special behind-the-scenes tours where you’ll get to walk inside our storage ring that stores electrons during operations. Our machine experts will teach you about the inner workings of the synchrotron, showcase machine components, and explain how we produce the very bright light that is used in thousands of experiments every year. Read about these limited-time tours offered in Saskatoon and register for free here: ➡️ https://bit.ly/3W7v4Bd

A groundbreaking study recently published in 'Audiology and Neurotology' presents a novel application of synchrotron radiation phase-contrast imaging (SR-PCI) to examine cochlear otosclerosis. This advanced imaging technique has enabled researchers to visualize otosclerotic lesions in unprecedented detail, offering new insights into the pathology and potential treatment avenues for this common cause of acquired hearing loss. Western University Canadian Light Source Inc. / Centre canadien de rayonnement synchrotron #audiology #otolaryngology #hearingloss https://lnkd.in/geefNesF

#OnTheBeamlines: As many as 4% of adults in Canada suffers from a lifelong disorder called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which affects the development of the fetus’s brain due to alcohol exposure during pregnancy. But there is limited information about how FASD affects the brain and this makes it difficult to develop effective drug or nutritive treatments. University of Saskatchewan researchers are using our Mid-IR and Bio-XAS beamlines to investigate the neural and developmental mechanisms that lead to FASD to help develop new treatments. Drs. Mansfield Mela, Adebola Obayan, Aderonke Obayan, Abimbola Eke and research coordinator Monique Reboe-Benjamin from the USask Department of Psychiatry (College of Medicine) have been studying the changes caused by FASD in the hippocampus and corpus collosum regions of the brain in animal rat models and are trying to identify differences with healthy rat brains. The research team is collaborating on this project with CLS scientists Drs. Amanda Quirk and Scott Rosendahl and Dr. Rhiannon Boseley, now at Diamond Light Source. This research project is funded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada FASD Research Network, and the Iver and Joyce Graham Small Indiana Professorship Grant. #health #medicine #psychiatry #FASD #research #cndsci #usask

Researchers are using the Canadian Light Source to study how enzymes found in all forms of life (called ribonucleases) can be modified to work to our advantage. This technology could have wide-ranging applications, from better cancer treatments and more effective pharmaceuticals, to more efficient and environmentally friendly industrial catalysts. In the human body alone, there are eight active ribonucleases (RNases). These enzymes are secreted by a large variety of different tissues and help manage the messages that come from our DNA. These enzymes are nearly identical in terms of their 3D architecture and molecular makeup, yet they carry out very different functions. For example, some protect us from infections while others contribute to tumour growth. Prof. Nicolas Doucet and colleagues at Institut national de la recherche scientifique Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre have been studying how to differentiate and modify these enzymes. The research team previously discovered that the function of a ribonuclease could be identified by its movements at the molecular level. Now, they have found a way to hack them too. “By reconstructing the evolutionary ancestor of two enzymes, it allowed us to figure out how mutations have occurred but also how they've influenced specific biological functions throughout evolution,” said Doucet. “This provided us with a tool to effectively predict how to transform the activity of an enzyme.” The researchers successfully modified an enzyme so that it became antibacterial and toxic to cells (cytotoxic). This research was recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Using the CMCF beamline at the CLS enabled them to analyze enzymes and proteins at an atomic scale. “This work provides a means to better design inhibitors in the context of drug design or pharmaceutical applications and to design or modify biocatalysts for targeted, specific industrial applications," he explained. While this area of research is still at an early stage, the new study by Doucet and colleagues shows that engineering our genetics is possible and could bring about exciting advances in medicine and industry. https://bit.ly/3VviuKu #ribonuclease #health #dna #genetics

Millet, the grain, is having a moment. The United Nations declared 2023 International Year of Millets. And last September, leaders at the G20 Summit in India were treated to a smorgasbord of dishes and desserts all made from millets. It’s easy to see why millet is getting so much love lately. It packs a bigger nutritional punch than grains like rice, wheat, and corn, it’s easier to grow -- requiring less fertilizer and water -- and it’s more tolerant of the drought conditions that are becoming increasingly common around the globe. Now researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/ Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada – along with partners in India – have developed a deeper understanding of what makes millet such a wonder food. Using the Canadian Light Source and the Advanced Photon Source near Chicago, Illinois – Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally and colleagues looked at what millet’s genes are doing at different stages – from when it first sprouts to when it makes seeds. For instance, they identified the genes responsible for capturing and transporting nutrients within millet seeds. By comparing this new data with genetic information from other grains, the researchers now have a better understanding of why millet is so efficient at taking up micronutrients from the soil. This new knowledge could be applied in the development of better forms of other crops such as barley and wheat. The team, which included scientists from the University of Agricultural Sciences (Bangalore, India) and the All India Coordinated Research Project on Small Millets, was also able to see where, precisely, minerals are located within millet seeds, information critical for ensuring that processing of the grain does not strip away valuable nutrients. Their findings were published recently in The Plant Journal. Millets are often referred to as nutri-cereals, because they provide most of the nutrients our bodies need to function. They are a great source of protein, fiber, iron, zinc, and key amino acids. Millets have 10 times more calcium than wheat, and are higher in iron and zinc, says Soolanayakanahally. Millets, he says, can play an important role in addressing the “hidden hunger” prevalent in developing countries, where other grains are plentiful but often lack the nutrients to address major health problems such as anemia in infants and children. “Lactating women can incorporate millet into their diet,” says Soolanayakanahally. With climate change altering growing conditions, Soolanayakanahally thinks this country could play a larger role in addressing food security. “If we (get to a point where we) can’t grow durum wheat or barley, and we replace those land areas with growing millet, then Canada can be one of the stable suppliers of very nutrient-dense cereals for the world.” https://lnkd.in/dBvg7Hvi #agriculture #millet #hiddenhunger

Today, we were pleased to welcome representatives from Bangladesh's Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Council, BSMRAU Agricultural University, and agribusiness. The delegation, hosted by the University of Saskatchewan, was at the CLS to learn more about the advantages of using synchrotron light for cutting-edge research in #agriculture and #foodsecurity. Thank you for visiting the CLS!

#OnTheBeamlines: Queen Elizabeth I was a life-long user of Venetian ceruse, a white lead makeup that could give her a fair, glowing complexion. But was this makeup toxic? McMaster University researcher Fiona McNeill and her team are trying to understand why some 16th-century makeups might have been dangerous. Recreating historical makeup, the researchers used our BioXAS and Mid-IR beamlines to study how the compounds could get into the skin and what changes to the skin could cause the lead absorption. “We found that lead makeup was not an ugly white mask but instead was quite lovely, so women had incentives to wear it,” said McNeill. “The work at the CLS has allowed us to be the first people to see images of how lead is being absorbed and diffused through different skin structures.” Her team has found that different ingredients in the mix changed the way lead could get into the skin. This information could help today’s workers in the way they handle some lead compounds when mixed with other chemicals. #makeup #science #synchrotron #history #ElizabethI #beauty In the video, from left: McMaster student Lauren Mutton, Mid-Ir Associate Scientist Grace Flaman, McMaster student Lisa Bhatia and Amanda Quirk, CLS Associate Scientist (Bio/Life Sciences). Audio: Canva Pro

#OnTheBeamlines: Our body’s immune system uses several components, including B cells, to guard against infections caused by bacteria, parasites or viruses. The success of vaccines in preventing infections depends on proteins produced by B cells called antibodies. B cells also help to control the immune system; when they do not function properly, the immune system becomes unbalanced, resulting in devastating autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia. Researchers from The Hospital for Sick Children used our CMCF-ID beamline to better understand the structure and function of molecules produced by B cells. Jean-Philippe Julien says what his team learns could serve as a blueprint for designing next-generation therapies that prevent HIV-1, COVID-19, and malaria, and therapeutic antibodies that will treat autoimmune diseases and cancer. “This work will help pioneer better vaccines and therapeutics for Canadian children and adults.” #Vaccines #Health #AutoimmuneDisease Image: Members of the Julien Lab, from left to right, Jean-Philippe Julien, Tony Semesi, Danton Ivanochko, and Sophia Hailemariam.