Just as space holds infinite mysteries, when we zoom in at the level of biomolecules (one trillion times smaller than a meter), there is still so much to learn.

Summer Engineering Research for Community College Students (SERCCS) selects 4-5 students from (2-year) community colleges for eight-week internships in accelerator and x-ray sciences research, during which students also attend/lead formal seminars, tour research facilities, and enjoy social and recreational events.

In 2019, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) completed its most significant upgrade in nearly 40 years of operation. This upgrade included removal of the three-story-tall particle physics detector, replacement of one-sixth of the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR), and a complete remodel of the experimental floor, including installation of six new undulator-fed beamlines.

Cornell University's High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) recently hosted a multi-day workshop on High Energy X-ray Techniques (HEXT) from May 16 to 17, 2023. The workshop was funded by the National Science Foundation and aimed to introduce students from the Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) program to synchrotron methods, emphasizing their applications to a wide variety of research questions.

PyMOL is a popular molecular visualization software used by scientists and researchers to visualize and analyze molecular structures. It is designed to work with a variety of file formats, including PDB (Protein Data Bank) files, and can display a range of molecular properties, such as protein linkage, electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding.

The development, outlined in a paper published March 3 in Nature Communications, provides researchers with the tools to interpret the once-discarded data from X-ray crystallography experiments – an essential method used to study the structures of proteins. This work, which builds on a study released in 2020, could lead to a better understanding of a protein’s movement, structure and overall function.

What is the discovery?

Updates from Joel Brock, CHESS Director, included a “thank you” to CHESS’s partner funding agencies. CHESS user operations are fully funded for the fiscal year beginning April 1^st, and CHESS is looking forward to welcoming users at all beamlines for a fully-packed beamtime schedule.

SUNY Delhi offers the nation's first mechatronics major, a multidisciplinary field of engineering, incorporating controlled electronics, mechanical and computer systems; all to adapt to the ever-evolving and intricate systems of everything in industry; from food processing and car-manufacturing to sustainability and space exploration.

The 2023 EYH conference took place on April 1st and consisted of speakers, workshops, demonstrations, and lab tours geared towards motivating young scientists to get involved in STEM. Students participate in two or three workshops organized by Cornell students and faculty, tour state-of-the-art lab facilities on Cornell’s Ithaca campus, connect with peers and mentors, and learn that anyone with a curious mind has what it takes to pursue a future in STEM!