September 2022 Newsletter

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory is the largest synchrotron source in the U.S., providing intense, tunable X-rays for a wide range of scientific research experiments. Among these, the APS houses 15 beamlines dedicated to macromolecular crystallographic data collection, comprising nearly half of all currently operating MX beamlines in the U.S. These beamlines serve a large scientific user community from the U.S. and around the world who depend heavily on the APS for their research programs.

The APS is preparing for a major upgrade of its electron storage ring to provide a smaller, more intense X-ray beam, making the APS the brightest synchrotron in the world compared to current sources. The upgrade will require a full shutdown of operations, scheduled to begin in April 2023 and to last for one year. When operations resume, it will initially be at lowered ring current, gradually ramping up to full power over approximately six months. During the dark time, many individual beamlines will be upgrading their instrumentation to take full advantage of the enhanced performance of the APS. This will require additional time for commissioning and testing once the APS is back online. It may be 1.5 to 2 years before the APS and all MX beamlines operate again at full capacity.

The impact of the APS shutdown on the MX user community will be significant. Removing nearly half of the US MX beamline capacity will displace regular APS users and increase demand and competition at other synchrotrons worldwide. At Helix Biostructures, we have been engaged in detailed planning for the APS shutdown to ensure we can continue to meet the needs of current clients for reliable weekly data collection options, as well as to accommodate other research groups who may need extra assistance during this time. Helix is well positioned to meet this challenge, given Helix's experience and long-standing relationships with many beamlines in North America and Europe. In addition, we recently established a leasing agreement with the newly upgraded NYX beamline at NSLS2 to further ensure long-term guaranteed and reliable beamtime access.

If you or your company have any concerns about obtaining beam time or data collection services, given the upcoming shutdown, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Advanced preparation and planning are strongly advised and any information provided before the shutdown will allow Helix to facilitate your project needs better.