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EDITORIAL
March 2022 ESRFnews
Editor Jon Cartwright Tel +44 (0)117 2303080 E-mail jon.a.cartwright@ icloud.com
Editorial committee Nick Brookes Delphine Chenevier Andy Fitch Michael Krisch Gema Martínez-Criado Joanne McCarthy Edward Mitchell Stéphanie Monaco Annalisa Pastore Qing Qin Francesco Sette
Subscription Chantal Argoud For subscriptions to the digital version of ESRFnews (print subscriptions are no longer possible), visit www. esrf.eu/UsersAndScience/ Publications/Newsletter
ESRFnews is produced for the ESRF by: IOP Publishing Temple Circus Temple Way Bristol BS1 6HG, UK Tel +44 (0)117 929 7481 www.ioppublishing.org
Head of media Jo Allen Production Kyla Rushman Technical illustrator Alison Tovey Display advertisement manager Edward Jost
Advertisement production Katie Graham Marketing and circulation Emma Hughes
ISSN 1011-9310 ©2022 ESRF
ESRF news
The start of a new year is always a good time to plan for the future, and with the United Nations Assembly designating 2022 as the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, this provides us with a great opportunity to highlight how the ESRF s new Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS) and state-of-the-art beamlines contribute to advancing basic science and human knowledge. Throughout history, basic, curiosity-driven scientific research has been a source
of many breakthroughs, leading to paradigm shifts that have had a profound impact on our societies. Indeed, the successes and challenges of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the pressing climate crisis, have been a stark reminder of the importance of the basic sciences for humanity. The ESRF is therefore proud to be a partner of this initiative, by providing researchers with new opportunities offered by the EBS and the ESRF Upgrade Programme as a whole. It is now time to welcome our ESRF users back
to fully benefit from the new EBS capabilities. Two examples, presented in this issue of
ESRFnews, highlight how the ESRF can play a crucial role in furthering the basic sciences. One refers to a structural-biology study helping us to understand how plants can adapt to the changing climate (p14). The second example reports on a new X-ray technique to study the connections between tendons and bone, and thus could help in the treatment of orthopaedic injuries (p19). These studies could profoundly impact both addressing climate-change challenges, and medical analyses and investigations, respectively. The latter work is supported by one of two new ERC grants awarded to ESRF users whose research programme requires the outstanding performance of the EBS.
Francesco Sette ESRF director- general
In support of basic science
The ESRF is proud to provide researchers with new opportunities offered by the EBS and the entire ESRF Upgrade Programme
