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March 2023 ESRFnews

Cryo-electron microscopy workshop

23–25 May 2023

The 5th annual cryo-electron microscopy

workshop on sample preparation for single-

particle imaging has been organised this year

as a joint ESRF-Instruct event. Lasting two-

and-a-half days, the workshop is intended

to give scientists the opportunity to get an

intense hands-on experience in the optimal

preparation of sample grids for single-

particle imaging using this technique, which

is available at the ESRF CM01 facility. The

target participants are scientists, at the early

stage of their career and group leaders. As for

the previous courses, this workshop will be

run in close collaboration with the campus

institutes and with technical support from

ThermoFisher Scientific.

Synchrotron radiation safety workshop

30 April – 2 June 2023

The 11th International Workshop on

Radiation Safety at Synchrotron Radiation

Sources provides a forum where radiation-

safety experts from synchrotron radiation

sources can meet and discuss radiation

safety and protection for the design,

operation and upgrade of present and

future facilities and beamlines. Held at the

ESRF, it aims to promote the exchange of

scientific information, identify areas of

improvement in radiation measurements

and shielding calculations, and initiate

collaborative efforts in radiation physics

between facilities. The deadline for abstract

submission is 31 March; the deadline for

registration is 15 April 2023.

Partnership for Structural Biology

symposium 6–7 July 2023

The fourth edition of the PSB biennial

symposium will focus on “Dynamics

in Structural Biology”, with the aim of

illustrating how big biological questions can

be resolved in structural biology through

the application of (interdisciplinary)

methodological approaches, enhancing

the understanding of the dynamic

behaviour of macromolecules. Held on

the EPN campus, it is organized by the

PSB in collaboration with the European

Molecular Biology Laboratory, the ESRF,

the Institut Laue-Langevin and the Institut

de Biologie Structurale. Fifteen speakers are

confirmed. More details to come at esrf.fr/

psbsymposium2023.

EVENTS

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Alain Manceau, a regular

ESRF user based at the École

Normale Supérieure de

Lyon and CNRS in France,

is the lead author of a study

that shared the Best Paper

Award in the “environmental science” section

of the journal Environmental Science &

Technology (ES&T) in November last year.

Published in January 2021, the study drew

on X-ray absorbtion spectroscopy taken at

the ESRF’s ID26 beamline to show that

mercury detoxification in animals consumes

more selenium than previously thought,

suggesting that animals may still be at risk of

mercury poisoning even if there are relatively

high levels of selenium in the polluted

environment. It also revealed a new, possibly

universal biomineralisation mechanism. The

other authors of the paper were Anne-Claire

Gaillot of Nantes University in France, Pieter

Glatzel of the ESRF and Yves Cherel and

Paco Bustamante of the CNRS−La Rochelle

University in France Environ Sci Technol 55

1515 The journal editors particularly praised

the winners for the quality of science achieved

during the COVID19 pandemic They

represent not only their own unique brilliance

in presenting some of the best novel impactful

new research but also something more the

resilience determination and humanity of

the EST community the editors added

EST is published by the American Chemical

Society with an impact factor of 113 it

publishes more than 1600 papers every year

Robert Feidenhans’l is the

new chair of the board of

the MAX IV synchrotron

in Lund, Sweden. A

professor of X-ray physics

at the Niels Bohr Institute

in Copenhagen, Denmark, Feidenhans’l

is Chairman of the Management board of

the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser

(XFEL) in Hamburg, Germany, and has

many years of experience in leading positions

at large research infrastructures and on

science boards and committees in Europe

and the US. He also has been chair of the

ESRF council, chair of the European XFEL

council and director of the Niels Bohr

Institute. “Robert is a fantastic asset for

MAX IV and for Sweden’s work on research

infrastructures,” says Erik Renström, the

vice-chancellor of Lund University. “He

is an internationally leading authority

on research with Xray radiation and has

extensive experience of strategic leadership

for international Xray infrastructures

such as the ESRF and European XFEL In

addition he has experience of industry in the

facilities work and is an excellent advocate

for education within the field Feidenhansl

says that he has cooperated closely with

MAX IV for many years As chair of the

board I am looking forward to ensuring that

MAX IV can develop in the long term so

that the facility continues to maintain its

worldclass standing at the very highest

level he added

Adrian Mancuso is the new

director of physical sciences

at Diamond Light Source.

Mancuso joins the UK’s

national synchrotron having

previously held the position

of group leader and leading scientist for the

single particles, clusters, and biomolecules

and serial femtosecond crystallography

instrument Group at the European X-ray

Free-Electron Laser in Hamburg, Germany;

he also holds an adjunct professorship in the

department of mathematical and physical

sciences at La Trobe University in Australia.

At Diamond, he will be responsible for

overall strategic leadership, direction and

management of the physical sciences division.

For over three years he was a member of its

scientific advisory committee, in which he

helped inform the technical and scientific

questions impacting the specification,

design commissioning and operation of the

facility We are delighted to have Adrian

join our team with the wealth of experience

he brings to the organisation says Adrian

Smith chairman of Diamonds board of

directors He not only has extensive scientific

leadership but also handson knowledge of

the pressure to deliver complex experiments

for users As a physicist his input into the

Diamond executive will be key and his strong

interest in technology development and

science strategy will be invaluable moving into

the detailed planning for DiamondII the

planned upgrade of the facility