Remote data collection, made possible by the use of a sample automounter such as the BAM-2 located at F1 and remote desktop software, is a growing trend at MacCHESS. Research groups regularly ship in their samples from as far away as Texas, and then operate the beamline over an Internet connection to the MacCHESS F1 data collection workstation. Instructions for carrying this out are available on the MacCHESS web site. The D'Avanzo beam time in June is the first time for MacCHESS that the remote operation has crossed international borders.
The D'Avanzo data collection in June was part of another growing trend: combined local/remote data collection. Several members of the group traveled from Montreal to Ithaca, carrying their samples across the border, while Cyr stayed behind. Local collection carries several advantages, including the ability to mount fresh as well as pre-frozen crystals, the ability to interact with MacCHESS staff, and the possibility of trying novel experimental procedures. When his colleagues took time off to sleep, Cyr filled in the beam time with collection of data from his samples over the Internet. Afterwards, Cyr responded, "Thanks for your help during the data collection. On our side, everything went smoothly with the 'hybrid' local/remote data collection."