The fifth BioCrys course will be focused on Macromolecular Crystallography, by developing the fundamental concepts of Crystallography and illustrate these by tutorial and practical sessions.
This is particularly important due to the rapid development of the field and also due to the fact that many young researchers do not receive a formal education in Crystallography. Additionally, with the introduction of high-throughput methods, the need to understand and grasp the theory behind modern methods will certainly be critical to overcome the difficult problems that will arise and will not be solved by the automated procedures.
Topics of the course will run from fundamentals such as symmetry, point groups and crystal systems, basic diffraction physics, reciprocal space and the Ewalds sphere, radiation damage, data processing, symmetry in the diffraction pattern, structure factors, Patterson function to modern methodologies including molecular replacement, SAD, MAD, MIR and maximum likelihood phasing, direct methods, density modification, refinement, model building, twinning and structure validation.
The course will be organized with lectures in the mornings and interactive practicals and tutorials in the afternoons. Evening lectures on current topics will be presented by the invited speakers. Participants will be limited to 36, aimed primarly at people at the beginning of their crystallographic research activity as PhD students or others. Selected applicants are invited to present a poster during the course.

Diffraction at the Nanoscale: Nanocrystals, Defective & Amorphous Materials

A Hands-on Workshop on X-rays, Synchrotron Radiation and Neutron Diffraction Techniques including Experimental and Computational Aspects.

MSA/GS, ANL Short Course on Amphiboles

The Short Course on ‘‘Amphiboles’’, sponsored by the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA) and by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (ANL), was held in Rome in October 2007. The aim of the Short Course was to update the scientific community on the extensive developments that have occurred over the last twenty years on many issues concerning the crystal-chemistry and systematics of the amphiboles, as well as their role in petrogenetic and environmental processes.Â

Amphiboles are a complex but fascinating group of minerals, which are currently the focus of several investigations in the realms of geology, petrology, mineralogy, environmental mineralogy, epidemiology and even biology. During the last two decades, most of our previous concepts on the crystal chemistry of amphiboles have had to be reformulated, owing to advances in analytical techniques (especially X-ray diffraction, SIMS analysis and infrared spectroscopy), the development of new comprehensive models and the extensive study of synthetic compositions. This new situation prompted the organization of the Short Course and the preparation of a new volume of the MSA/GSA Reviews in Mineralogy series. Volume 67 (Amphiboles: crystal chemistry, occurrence and health issues) has been edited by Frank C. Hawthorne, Roberta Oberti, Giancarlo Della Ventura and Annibale Mottana, bringing together 13 comprehensive review chapters on the major issues addressed during the workshop. These chapters are focused on concepts and results more than on techniques, including advances in crystal-chemical models, classification and nomenclature. They also present challenges and results regarding synthesis, long-range and short-range ordering, geological occurrences and health issues related to the distribution of natural amphiboles in the environment.
Roberta Oberti
Giancarlo Della Ventura

HSC5: Synchrotron Radiation and Neutrons for Cultural Heritage Studies

Grenoble, 7 to 13 October 2007

Part of the Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses

SCOPE

Synchrotron and neutron sources offer recent and additional insight into the records of our cultural past. Over the last years, there has been an increasing demand for access to SR- and neutron-based techniques, and their applications in the fields of archaeological science and cultural heritage. The purpose of this Hercules Specialized Course is to give the participants an introduction to the basic principles of SR and neutron techniques (imaging, microscopy, diffraction, absorption and fluorescence, IR spectroscopy). The school will also provide cross-disciplinary examples illustrating the abilities of these techniques in a representative range of scientific cases in relation with the European cultural heritage. The lectures will cover both theoretical and experimental aspects to the attention of a non-expert audience. They will be complemented by tutorials (diffraction and XAS data processing), and practicals on a selection of artefacts taking place at several ESRF and ILL beamlines. Young scientists and newcomers at the interfaces of the disciplines of archaeology, archaeological science, art conservation and materials science are welcome.

ORGANISERS

Loïc Bertrand, Eric Dooryhee, Jean-Louis Hodeau Secretariat: N. Petricola (ESRF)

TOPICS

Introductory lectures:Â

Over the first 2 days, the HSC includes introductory talks on core SR and neutron methods (diffraction, XAS) and will also cover recent and dedicated developments in IR spectroscopy, full-field 2/3D imaging, micro-beams and microscopy, together with related tutorials.

Complementarity lecturesÂ

The last day covers a variety of archaeological and cultural heritage issues, e.g. studies of pigments, metal ware, manuscripts and parchments, tissues, ceramics and glasses.

PracticalsÂ

2 days of beamtime are planned for training and practising at the ESRF and ILL. The participants are encouraged to discuss with us the possibility to bring over their own samples as test cases and for preliminary measurements.

Purpose and Scope of Workshop

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with hands-on experience of a variety of crystal growth methods for obtaining high quality crystals. The course will address both conventional and non-conventional methods in membrane protein crystal growth. Optimization methods will include application of oils, novel nucleating agents, detergents, crystallization in lipid cubic phase, crystallization with gels, and more... Introductory lectures will precede the eight practical sessions planned for the course. Time for discussions and informal meetings with the tutors is scheduled.
A special session on cryogenic protection and crystal quality assessment will be conducted at the X6A beam line on the last day.

Intended Audience

Graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research scientists interested in learning about different approaches to crystallization.

Crystallization: Focus on Membrane Proteins

June 19-23, 2007

Four day practical course in crystallization and characterization of macromolecules.

Location: Brookhaven National Laboratory

Purpose & Scope of Workshop:

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with hands-on experience of a variety of crystal growth methods for obtaining high quality crystals. The course will address both conventional and non-conventional methods in membrane protein crystal growth. Optimization methods will include application of oils, novel nucleating agents, detergents, crystallization in lipid cubic phase, crystallization with gels, and more... Introductory lectures will precede the eight practical sessions planned for the course. Time for discussions and informal meetings with the tutors is scheduled.
A special session on cryogenic protection and crystal quality assessment will be conducted at the X6A beam line on the last day.

Intended Audience

Graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research scientists interested in learning about different approaches to crystallization.

About the practical course

The EMBO Practical Course is aimed at young scientists working in the field of structural biology including: biochemists, biophysicists, and those specializing in macromolecular crystallography (MX), electron microscopy (EM), NMR or bioinformatics. Small angle scattering (SAS) of X-rays and neutrons (SAXS/SANS) experiences a renaissance in structural biology allowing one to study native particles and complexes and to monitor structural changes in response to variations in external conditions (temperature, pH, salinity, ligands).

Novel data analysis methods and a broader accessibility to high brilliance instruments on large scale facilities significantly enhanced resolution and reliability of structural models provided by SAS. Emerging automation of the experiment, data processing and interpretation made solution SAS a streamline tool for large scale structural studies in molecular biology. The method provides low resolution macromolecular shapes ab initio and is readily combined with other structural, biochemical and computational techniques in hybrid approaches. The extremely broad range of molecular sizes accessible by SAS, from kDa to GDa, allows one to monitor the interactions in hierarchical systems at different levels of structural organization. The participants are encouraged to bring their own samples for biophysical characterization (e.g. using light scattering, size exclusion chromatography and thermoflour experiments). They may also bring the SAXS or SANS data collected on other facilities to be analysed during the Course.

Intended audience and purpose of the course

Read the announcement here.

The course is intended primarily for Master’s and PhD students in the molecular and solid state sciences, particularly from across Europe, but applicants from other regions will be considered. The goal is that the participants gain hands-on experience plus a theoretical background in the art and science of routine crystal and molecular structure determination of small molecules by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, as well as in the interpretation and presentation of results. The course will consist of lectures, computer exercises and practical work.

Elementary knowledge of general-purpose, first-year university-level chemistry and mathematical concepts is helpful. No specialized knowledge of crystallography is required, but some prior experience is useful. The course language is English and participants must be sufficiently proficient in English to be able to understand the lectures and participate in discussions without difficulty.

The course is not suitable for persons interested specifically in powder diffraction techniques or macromolecular crystallography.

Bring your own crystals

The unique aspect of the School is that participants get to collect data and determine the structure of one of their own compounds that they are currently interested in and that they have not worked on before. Participants prepare and send their own crystals of one compound several weeks before before the School, so that the crystal quality and suitability of the problem may be assessed. At the end of the School, participants give a ten minute presentation of the results of their analysis.

ECTS credit for course

The University of Zürich offers 3 ECTS points, equivalent to 90 contact hours, for the course to successful students. Receiving credit requires

• attendance during the full duration of the School.
• passing a two-hour written examination on the final morning of the School and a positive assessment of the practical course work by the directors of the School.

Acceptance of the credit points by the student's home university must be negotiated by the students themselves on the basis of the detailed School programme, the result of their examination and the course assessment by the School directors.

Organized by Forschungszentrum Jülich in cooperation with RWTH Aachen and WWU Münster.

The Jülich Centre for Neutron Science of Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, organises in cooperation with the University of Münster (Prof. D. Richter, Dr. R. Zorn) and the RWTH Aachen University (Prof. T. Brückel, Prof. G. Heger, Prof. G. Roth) a laboratory course in neutron scattering with experiments at the neutron scattering facilities of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum MLZ.

The course consists of two parts: a series of lectures, combined with the opportunity to take part in neutron scattering experiments. The lectures encompass an introduction to neutron sources, along with scattering theory and instrumentation. Furthermore, selected topics of condensed matter research are be presented.

Lectures are held at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the experiments take place at the neutron facilities of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum in Garching near Munich.

The laboratory course is part of the curriculum of the University of Münster and the RWTH Aachen.

The aim of the course to give a realistic insight into the experimental technique of neutron scattering and its scientific potential. Forschungszentrum Jülich supports students from out of the area with free accommodation and half-board. Travel stipendia for foreign students are also available.

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2014 PSI Summer School on Condensed Matter Research (13th edition)

Exploring time, energy and length scales in condensed matter

Institut Montana, Zug, Switzerland  The PSI summer school 2014 is dedicated to the topic: Exploring time, energy and length scales in condensed matter. International experts and PSI staff members will introduce and deepen your knowledge of these scientific topics. Additionally, you will learn about the experimental methods applied at the large-scale facilities of PSI in order to understand the phenomena, presently at the forefront of modern solid state physics and chemistry.
Synchrotron radiation, neutron, and muon sources are used to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of condensed matter. Using these facilities, the focus of the school is the study of dynamic processes in nature and technology, over the full range of time and length scales at which they actually occur. The principles of the underlying experimental methods will be explained. Evening lectures will address the importance of time, energy and length scales in other scientific fields. Â Following the school a practical training at PSI is offered to a limited number of participants. The training allows a hands-on experience at the beamlines of the facilities.