BEST bags orders for state-of-the-art synchrotron instrumentation

Sep 8 2009

Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc. (BEST) today announced that its subsidiary Bruker ASC GmbH in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, has been awarded several significant contracts for state-of-the-art synchrotron instrumentation from leading research institutions worldwide. Separate major contracts were signed with the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory in Korea, and the University of Lund in Sweden for Bruker ultra-precise X-ray mirror systems, double-crystal monochromators, and a complete synchrotron experimental station, with a total order value of approximately $3.7 million.

Dr. Hans-Udo Klein, Vice President for Business Development of BEST, and Managing Director of Bruker ASC GmbH, commented: “We are very pleased that leading global large-scale research facilities have selected Bruker for their cutting-edge, critical research instrumentation in order to advance the life and material sciences.”

SLAC, located in Stanford, CA (USA), ordered two state-of-the-art Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror systems to be integrated into its Coherent X-Ray Imaging instrument (CXI) at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). The CXI instrument aims to image individual biomolecules which can not be crystallized, hydrated living cells or nanoparticles. CXI scientist Dr. Sebastian Boutet said: "The CXI instrument could have huge medical and technological consequences. In medicine, it is common for researchers to figure out how diseases work by looking at the structure of the molecules involved. From there, they can figure out how to best attack diseases. Soon, we'll be able to look at the structures of samples never before seen. LCLS is the ultimate microscope."

Pohang Accelerator Laboratory placed a contract for two complete cryo-cooled double-crystal monochromators for an upgrade of the Pohang Light Source. Cryo-cooled monochromators are essential instruments to make use of more intense light sources for scientific investigation in a variety of research fields. The Pohang researchers apply Ultra-Small Angle X-ray Scattering (U-SAXS) to investigate proteins and protein folding, as well as polymer blends. The second unit is for X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), an essential technique for many applications in materials science.

The University of Lund ordered a complete new experimental station to upgrade the existing structural biology facility at MAX-Lab, the Swedish synchrotron radiation facility. This new set-up provides the necessary stability and precision to perform state-of-the-art macromolecular crystallography even with very small crystals on the order of a few micrometers. Protein or macromolecular crystallography at synchrotron light sources contributes significantly to protein structure determination, essential for many applications including molecular biology, rational drug design and proteomics.

Wolfgang Diete, Director of Bruker’s Synchrotron, Beamline & X-Ray Optics business, explained: “These contracts are important milestones for our plans to further grow the synchrotron instrumentation business after our recent acquisition by Bruker. Based on our technological experience, we look forward to bringing these critical instruments into operation to support our international customers in achieving their scientific goals and perhaps even new breakthroughs.”