The international user base was represented by 174 attendants who congregated to discuss this year's theme, "Exploring the Art and Science of Synchrotron X-ray Research". The plenary session on June 10 included a morning facility update session with the CHESS and MacCHESS directors, where exciting upgrade plans were presented, along with a summary of updates to the beam time proposal system. The invited user science sessions featured a cross-section of cutting edge user research, spanning the range from virology to superconductivity to art conservation.

One of the most ambitious is the installation of new undulators for the upcoming Fall 2014 run, which means the removal of the Finkelstein Wiggler. This was a precision move over a large distance and many thanks to our "Riggers" for their expertise in gently guiding the 9,000+ pound wiggler out of the synchrotron.

The photocathode is the source of electrons that become the x-ray source in the case of a light source like a free-electron laser or an energy recovery linac. Karkare, with faculty advisor Ivan Bazarov (Cornell Physics Department), has been using a variety of tools to simulate, design and fabricate novel materials needed to make state-of-the-art photocathode sources. This publication presents new simulation tools that will help design better materials for future applications.

Established in 2005, the award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of nanoscale science and engineering in the field of chemical engineering.

Archer was recognized “for pioneering and sustained research on nanoparticle-polymer hybrid materials and their applications in electrochemical energy storage technologies,” according to his award citation.

Archer will give a lecture during the NSEF plenary session Nov. 19 at the 2014 AICHE annual meeting in Atlanta.

But for Gabrielle Long and Yuexia ‘Luna’ Lin, two research students working at CHESS this summer, the opportunity arose midway through their third week on the job. It is rare for students to have the chance to dismantle and build a beamline, and is definitely worth putting their personal research on hold for a weekend, reflected Richard Gillilan, one of Luna and Gabrielle’s advisers. The students worked with Richard and staff members Mike Cook, Scott Smith, and Bill Miller to transition the F1 hutch from a crystallography station to a BioSAXS station.

GERLS is an acronym developed by the program’s leaders Lora Hine, director of outreach at Xraise, and Claire Fox, education coordinator at IG. The acronym stands for “Girl Engineers Really Love Science!”

The camp had 11 girls participate from a number of area schools in Tompkins County. Additionally, several female mentors* from Cornell University, Ithaca College, and downtown institutions worked with the girls throughout the week.

THE FACTS ON WOMEN IN STEM

HE synchrotron x-rays are well suited to in-situ and operandostudies of energy and engineering materials, due to their short wavelength and narrow bandpass, adjustable energy and beam size, high flux and ability to interrogate samples in complex environments by penetrating electrochemical cells or bulk polycrystalline samples up to centimeters in thickness.

Despite their biological importance, few methods exist to monitor these complexes as they assemble, dissociate or function. The ability to observe these dynamics in action will present new strategies for manipulating gene expression.

LapD then, through its periplasmic domains, binds to enzyme LapG, which keeps LapG from breaking down the molecule responsible for the biofilm assembly, the elastin LapA.

A few years ago the Sondermann group used MacCHESS facilities to solve several molecular structures of cytoplasmic domains of the LapD regulatory protein from Pseudomonas fluorescens, alone and in complex with signaling molecule cdGMP. (Navarro, et al., 2011 DOI 10.1371/JOURNAL.PBIO.1000588)

Over the course of three days, the teachers participated in a variety of lessons and activities geared towards basic engineering, problem solving and scientific thinking. This Science Snapshot provided teachers with ideas and activities to better implement the principles of engineering in their classrooms, and allowed them to dry-run prepared materials. The focus of their investigations? To eventually design and build a device to measure light penetration. The teachers were then able to test their designs in Cayuga Lake aboard the Floating Classroom.