A diagram of the process to query CALMS and move a robotic arm, culminating in a photo of that robot.

Chatbots can assist experimenters

Argonne researchers have created the Context-Aware Language Model for Science (CALMS), which adds facility-specific information to large language models, for use in large-scale facilities such as the Advanced Photon Source.

Two images of data visualization. On the left, a gray image with contours, and on the right, a blue fluorescence map with colored lines signifying chemical deposits.

Solving a wrinkle in wide-bandgap perovskites

Halide perovskites are good candidates as light absorbers in solar cells. However, they are prone to forming a wrinkled morphology, a quality that prevents their use in multijunction solar cells. Why and how these wrinkles form has been unclear. Using various analytical approaches, including X-ray fluorescence microscopy, a team of researchers helped answer these questions. 

 

A series of X-ray structures showing data taken during the experiment.

Closing a gap in the race toward HIV vaccine development

Work to develop a vaccine to protect against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been underway for four decades. A recent study provides insights into antibody-based HIV vaccine development that could lead to the identification of vaccine immunogen candidates to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies. 

A progression of images including a diagram of a process, a graph of data and a series of X-ray images.

Precise 3D imaging using dark-field X-ray microscopy under a structured illumination

In pursuit of a more efficient and reliable approach to synchrotron X-ray tomography, a research team recently combined dark-field X-ray microscopy (DFXM) with a technique called structured illumination. This combination resulted in quicker setup times, faster data collection, and a more robust path to achieving high-quality 3D images. 

Images of protein structures from X-ray data.

Exploring the molecular relationship between glycated proteins and cancer cells

Sugar molecules in our bodies can disable proteins that help cancer cells proliferate. A new study involving high-resolution structures determined from data collected at the APS reveals how one such molecule deglycates a protein. These findings can serve as the basis for structure-based and in silico drug design targeting that molecule.

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