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Instruments / Technical Area	Publication Details	Published
	High-throughput in situ single particle X-ray imaging of dehydrating viral capsids Abhishek Mall , Anna Munke , Parichita Mazumder , Zhou Shen , Johan Bielecki , Juncheng E , Armando D. Estillore , Chan Kim , Romain Letrun , Jannik Lübke , Safi Rafie-Zinedine , Adam Round , Ekaterina Round , Michael Rütten , Amit K. Samanta , Abhisakh Sarma , Tokushi Sato , Florian Schulz , Carolin Seuring , Tamme Wollweber , Lena Worbs , Patrik Vagovic , Richard Bean , Adrian P. Mancuso , Ne-Te Duane Loh , Tobias Beck , Jochen Küpper , Filipe R. N. C. Maia , Henry N. Chapman , Kartik Ayyer Light: Science & Applications 15 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-026-02262-0 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Single-stranded RNA viruses co-assemble their capsid with the genome, and variations in capsid structures can have significant functional relevance. In particular, viruses need to respond to a dehydrating environment to prevent genomic degradation and remain active upon rehydration. Theoretical work has predicted low-energy buckling transitions in icosahedral capsids, which could protect the virus from further dehydration. However, there has been no direct experimental evidence, nor a molecular mechanism, for such behavior. Here, we observe this transition using X-ray single particle imaging of MS2 bacteriophages after aerosolization. Using a combination of machine learning tools, we classify hundreds of thousands of single-particle diffraction patterns to learn the structural landscape of the capsid morphology as a function of time spent in the aerosol phase. We found a previously unreported compact conformation as well as intermediate structures that suggest an incoherent buckling transition that does not preserve icosahedral symmetry. Finally, we propose a mechanism for this buckling, where a single 19-residue loop is destabilized, leading to the large observed morphological change. Our results provide experimental evidence for a mechanism by which viral capsids may protect themselves from dehydration upon aerosolization. In the process, these findings also demonstrate the power of single-particle X-ray imaging and machine learning methods in studying biomolecular structural dynamics.	Jun 2026
I23-Long wavelength MX	The long and short of it: Distinct natural crystal packing strategies of Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis Hannah Best , Lainey J. Williamson , Adam B. Cutts , Marina Galchenkova , Oleksandr Yefanov , Nicole Bryce-Sharron , Emily A. Heath , Raphael De Wijn , Robin Schubert , Anna Munke , Alessandra Henkel , Bjarne Klopprogge , T. Emilie S. Scheer , Viviane Kremling , Salah Awel , Gisel Pena , Juraj Knoska , Anusha Keloth , Julia Maracke , Romain Letrun , Egor Sobolev , Johan Bielecki , Diogo Melo , Sravya Kantamneni , Katerina Doerner , Marco Kloos , Joachim Schulz , P. Lourdu Xavier , Marius Lauffer , Maite Villanueva , Primitivo Caballero , Helen Waller-Evans , Emyr Lloyd-Evans , Charlotte Uetrecht , Richard Bean , Henry N. Chapman , Neil Crickmore , Pierre J. Rizkallah , Colin Berry , Dominik Oberthuer Structure 6 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2026.01.014 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [36446] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains naturally produce pesticidal proteins as nanocrystalline inclusions that are extraordinarily stable in aqueous environments, but which dissolve selectively at specific pH conditions. These proteins have been used in agriculture for >50 years and are critical to global food security. The majority of previously determined Bt Cry protein structures lack the extended C-terminal “crystallization domain,” which is thought to stabilize crystal packing and control selective solubility in insect targets, often via manipulation of disulfide bridges. It has also recently been shown to influence toxicity and target specificity. Here, we use serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) to determine high-resolution full-length native structures of Cry1Ca18 (1.65 Å) and Cry8Ba2 (2.27 Å) in their natural nanocrystalline state. Differences in cysteine content (19 versus 4 residues) reveal distinct in vivo crystal-stabilization strategies. Understanding Bt toxin domain architecture and natural crystal formation is essential for improving biopesticide design and advancing agricultural genetic engineering.	Feb 2026
	The single-particle, clusters and biomolecules and serial femtosecond crystallography instrument of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser: Interaction region downstream at atmospheric pressure (IRD) Adam Round , Pierre Aller , Richard Bean , Johan Bielecki , Agata Butryn , Nicholas E. Devenish , Raphael De Wijn , Thomas Dietze , Katerina Doerner , Fabio Dall'Antonia , Gabriele Giovanetti , Huijong Han , Vincent Hennicke , Chan Kim , Yoonhee Kim , Marco Kloos , Jayanath C. P. Koliyadu , Gabriel Leen , Romain Letrun , Luis Lopez Morillo , Allen M. Orville , Tim Pakendorf , Marco Ramilli , Nadja Reimers , Patrick Reinke , Juan Sanchez-Weatherby , Tokushi Sato , Robin Schubert , Joachim Schulz , Cedric Signe Takem , Marcin Sikorski , Prasad Thute , Fabian Trost , Oleksii Turkot , Patrik Vagovic , Mohammad Vakili , Raul Villanueva Guerrero , Henry N. Chapman , Alke Meents , Serguei Molodtsov , Sakura Pascarelli , Thomas Tschentschera , Adrian Mancuso , Pontus Fischer , Sebastian Guenther Journal Of Synchrotron Radiation 33 DOI: 10.1107/S1600577525008999 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The Single-Particle, Clusters and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography (SPB/SFX) scientific instrument at the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL) became operational with user experiments in September 2017. The unique properties and capabilities of the EuXFEL, enabling megahertz data collection rates, provide more rapid data collection with improved statistics compared with other XFEL facilities. This improves the feasibility of obtaining multiple data points in time-resolved experiments and hence enables the observation of reactions in greater detail (molecular movies). In collaboration with the SFX User Consortium (SFX UC), the SPB/SFX instrument was designed to further increase user access and research outcomes. Focusing the pulses downstream of the first interaction region [described previously (Mancuso et al., 2019)], a second experiment plane is enabled, which allows for greater optimization and more efficient usage of available beam time. Additionally, the SFX UC provided further instrumentation to provide improved capabilities on SPB/SFX. The aim for additional and extended functionality for the second interaction region was to enable sample-efficient data collection at atmospheric pressure in an environment where the sample temperature and humidity can be controlled. This paper describes the extended capabilities of the downstream interaction region of the SPB/SFX instrument and its major components, in particular its X-ray focusing optics, vacuum to atmospheric pressure out-coupling, available sample delivery methods and 2D detector, and the supporting optical laser systems for pump–probe experiments.	Nov 2025
	Development of MHz X-ray phase contrast imaging at the European XFEL Jayanath C. P. Koliyadu , Daniel Moško , Eleni Myrto Asimakopoulou , Valerio Bellucci , Šarlota Birnšteinová , Richard Bean , Romain Letrun , Chan Kim , Henry Kirkwood , Gabriele Giovanetti , Nerea Jardon , Janusz Szuba , Trey Guest , Andreas Koch , Jan Grünert , Peter Szeles , Pablo Villanueva-Perez , Fabian Reuter , Claus-Dieter Ohl , Mike Andreas Noack , Francisco Garcia-Moreno , Zuzana Kuglerová-Valdová , Libor Juha , Martin Nikl , Wataru Yashiro , Hitoshi Soyama , Daniel Eakins , Alexander M. Korsunsky , Jozef Ulicny , Alke Meents , Henry N. Chapman , Adrian P. Mancuso , Tokushi Sato , Patrik Vagovic Journal Of Synchrotron Radiation 32 DOI: 10.1107/S160057752400986X Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: We report on recent developments that enable megahertz hard X-ray phase contrast imaging (MHz XPCI) experiments at the Single Particles, Clusters, and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography (SPB/SFX) instrument of the European XFEL facility (EuXFEL). We describe the technical implementation of the key components, including an MHz fast camera and a modular indirect X-ray microscope system based on fast scintillators coupled through a high-resolution optical microscope, which enable full-field X-ray microscopy with phase contrast of fast and irreversible phenomena. The image quality for MHz XPCI data showed significant improvement compared with a pilot demonstration of the technique using parallel beam illumination, which also allows access to up to 24 keV photon energies at the SPB/SFX instrument of the EuXFEL. With these developments, MHz XPCI was implemented as a new method offered for a broad user community (academic and industrial) and is accessible via standard user proposals. Furthermore, intra-train pulse diagnostics with a high few-micrometre spatial resolution and recording up to 128 images of consecutive pulses in a train at up to 1.1 MHz repetition rate is available upstream of the instrument. Together with the diagnostic camera upstream of the instrument and the MHz XPCI setup at the SPB/SFX instrument, simultaneous two-plane measurements for future beam studies and feedback for machine parameter tuning are now possible.	Nov 2024
	Development of crystal optics for X-ray multi-projection imaging for synchrotron and XFEL sources Valerio Bellucci , Sarlota Birnsteinova , Tokushi Sato , Romain Letrun , Jayanath C. P. Koliyadu , Chan Kim , Gabriele Giovanetti , Carsten Deiter , Liubov Samoylova , Ilia Petrov , Luis Lopez Morillo , Rita Graceffa , Luigi Adriano , Helge Huelsen , Heiko Kollmann , Thu Nhi Tran Calliste , Dusan Korytar , Zdenko Zaprazny , Andrea Mazzolari , Marco Romagnoni , Eleni Myrto Asimakopoulou , Zisheng Yao , Yuhe Zhang , Jozef Ulicny , Alke Meents , Henry N. Chapman , Richard Bean , Adrian Mancuso , Pablo Villanueva-Perez , Patrik Vagovic Journal Of Synchrotron Radiation 31 DOI: 10.1107/S1600577524008488 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: X-ray multi-projection imaging (XMPI) is an emerging experimental technique for the acquisition of rotation-free, time-resolved, volumetric information on stochastic processes. The technique is developed for high-brilliance light-source facilities, aiming to address known limitations of state-of-the-art imaging methods in the acquisition of 4D sample information, linked to their need for sample rotation. XMPI relies on a beam-splitting scheme, that illuminates a sample from multiple, angularly spaced viewpoints, and employs fast, indirect, X-ray imaging detectors for the collection of the data. This approach enables studies of previously inaccessible phenomena of industrial and societal relevance such as fractures in solids, propagation of shock waves, laser-based 3D printing, or even fast processes in the biological domain. In this work, we discuss in detail the beam-splitting scheme of XMPI. More specifically, we explore the relevant properties of X-ray splitter optics for their use in XMPI schemes, both at synchrotron insertion devices and XFEL facilities. Furthermore, we describe two distinct XMPI schemes, designed to faciliate large samples and complex sample environments. Finally, we present experimental proof of the feasibility of MHz-rate XMPI at the European XFEL. This detailed overview aims to state the challenges and the potential of XMPI and act as a stepping stone for future development of the technique.	Nov 2024
	Resolving nonequilibrium shape variations among millions of gold nanoparticles Zhou Shen , Paul Lourdu Xavier , Richard Bean , Johan Bielecki , Martin Bergemann , Benedikt Daurer , Tomas Ekeberg , Armando D. Estillore , Hans Fangohr , Klaus Giewekemeyer , Mikhail Karnevskiy , Richard A. Kirian , Henry Kirkwood , Yoonhee Kim , Jayanath C. P. Koliyadu , Holger Lange , Romain Letrun , Jannik Lübke , Abhishek Mall , Thomas Michelat , Andrew J. Morgan , Nils Roth , Amit K. Samanta , Tokushi Sato , Marcin Sikorski , Florian Schulz , Patrik Vagovic , Tamme Wollweber , Lena Worbs , Filipe Maia , Daniel A. Horke , Jochen Küpper , Adrian P. Mancuso , Henry Chapman , Kartik Ayyer , N. Duane Loh Acs Nano DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00378 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Nanoparticles, exhibiting functionally relevant structural heterogeneity, are at the forefront of cutting-edge research. Now, high-throughput single-particle imaging (SPI) with X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) creates opportunities for recovering the shape distributions of millions of particles that exhibit functionally relevant structural heterogeneity. To realize this potential, three challenges have to be overcome: (1) simultaneous parametrization of structural variability in real and reciprocal spaces; (2) efficiently inferring the latent parameters of each SPI measurement; (3) scaling up comparisons between 105 structural models and 106 XFEL-SPI measurements. Here, we describe how we overcame these three challenges to resolve the nonequilibrium shape distributions within millions of gold nanoparticles imaged at the European XFEL. These shape distributions allowed us to quantify the degree of asymmetry in these particles, discover a relatively stable “shape envelope” among nanoparticles, discern finite-size effects related to shape-controlling surfactants, and extrapolate nanoparticles’ shapes to their idealized thermodynamic limit. Ultimately, these demonstrations show that XFEL SPI can help transform nanoparticle shape characterization from anecdotally interesting to statistically meaningful.	May 2024
	Observation of a single protein by ultrafast X-ray diffraction Tomas Ekeberg , Dameli Assalauova , Johan Bielecki , Rebecca Boll , Benedikt J. Daurer , Lutz A. Eichacker , Linda E. Franken , Davide E. Galli , Luca Gelisio , Lars Gumprecht , Laura H. Gunn , Janos Hajdu , Robert Hartmann , Dirk Hasse , Alexandr Ignatenko , Jayanath Koliyadu , Olena Kulyk , Ruslan Kurta , Markus Kuster , Wolfgang Lugmayr , Jannik Lübke , Adrian P. Mancuso , Tommaso Mazza , Carl Nettelblad , Yevheniy Ovcharenko , Daniel E. Rivas , Max Rose , Amit K. Samanta , Philipp Schmidt , Egor Sobolev , Nicusor Timneanu , Sergey Usenko , Daniel Westphal , Tamme Wollweber , Lena Worbs , Paul Lourdu Xavier , Hazem Yousef , Kartik Ayyer , Henry N. Chapman , Jonas A. Sellberg , Carolin Seuring , Ivan A. Vartanyants , Jochen Küpper , Michael Meyer , Filipe R. N. C. Maia Light: Science & Applications 13 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01352-7 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The idea of using ultrashort X-ray pulses to obtain images of single proteins frozen in time has fascinated and inspired many. It was one of the arguments for building X-ray free-electron lasers. According to theory, the extremely intense pulses provide sufficient signal to dispense with using crystals as an amplifier, and the ultrashort pulse duration permits capturing the diffraction data before the sample inevitably explodes. This was first demonstrated on biological samples a decade ago on the giant mimivirus. Since then, a large collaboration has been pushing the limit of the smallest sample that can be imaged. The ability to capture snapshots on the timescale of atomic vibrations, while keeping the sample at room temperature, may allow probing the entire conformational phase space of macromolecules. Here we show the first observation of an X-ray diffraction pattern from a single protein, that of Escherichia coli GroEL which at 14 nm in diameter is the smallest biological sample ever imaged by X-rays, and demonstrate that the concept of diffraction before destruction extends to single proteins. From the pattern, it is possible to determine the approximate orientation of the protein. Our experiment demonstrates the feasibility of ultrafast imaging of single proteins, opening the way to single-molecule time-resolved studies on the femtosecond timescale.	Jan 2024
	Online dynamic flat-field correction for MHz microscopy data at European XFEL Sarlota Birnsteinova , Danilo E. Ferreira De Lima , Egor Sobolev , Henry J. Kirkwood , Valerio Bellucci , Richard J. Bean , Chan Kim , Jayanath C. P. Koliyadu , Tokushi Sato , Fabio Dall'Antonia , Eleni Myrto Asimakopoulou , Zisheng Yao , Khachiwan Buakor , Yuhe Zhang , Alke Meents , Henry N. Chapman , Adrian P. Mancuso , Pablo Villanueva-Perez , Patrik Vagovic Journal Of Synchrotron Radiation 30 DOI: 10.1107/S1600577523007336 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The high pulse intensity and repetition rate of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL) provide superior temporal resolution compared with other X-ray sources. In combination with MHz X-ray microscopy techniques, it offers a unique opportunity to achieve superior contrast and spatial resolution in applications demanding high temporal resolution. In both live visualization and offline data analysis for microscopy experiments, baseline normalization is essential for further processing steps such as phase retrieval and modal decomposition. In addition, access to normalized projections during data acquisition can play an important role in decision-making and improve the quality of the data. However, the stochastic nature of X-ray free-electron laser sources hinders the use of standard flat-field normalization methods during MHz X-ray microscopy experiments. Here, an online (i.e. near real-time) dynamic flat-field correction method based on principal component analysis of dynamically evolving flat-field images is presented. The method is used for the normalization of individual X-ray projections and has been implemented as a near real-time analysis tool at the Single Particles, Clusters, and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography (SPB/SFX) instrument of EuXFEL.	Nov 2023
I13-1-Coherence	Hard X-ray stereographic microscopy for single-shot differential phase imaging Valerio Bellucci , Marie-Christine Zdora , Ladislav Mikes , Šarlota Birnšteinová , Peter Oberta , Marco Romagnoni , Andrea Mazzolari , Pablo Villanueva-Perez , Rajmund Mokso , Christian David , Mikako Makita , Silvia Cipiccia , Jozef Ulicny , Alke Meents , Adrian P. Mancuso , Henry N. Chapman , Patrik Vagovic Optics Express 31 DOI: 10.1364/OE.492137 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [17739] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The characterisation of fast phenomena at the microscopic scale is required for the understanding of catastrophic responses of materials to loads and shocks, the processing of materials by optical or mechanical means, the processes involved in many key technologies such as additive manufacturing and microfluidics, and the mixing of fuels in combustion. Such processes are usually stochastic in nature and occur within the opaque interior volumes of materials or samples, with complex dynamics that evolve in all three dimensions at speeds exceeding many meters per second. There is therefore a need for the ability to record three-dimensional X-ray movies of irreversible processes with resolutions of micrometers and frame rates of microseconds. Here we demonstrate a method to achieve this by recording a stereo phase-contrast image pair in a single exposure. The two images are combined computationally to reconstruct a 3D model of the object. The method is extendable to more than two simultaneous views. When combined with megahertz pulse trains of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) it will be possible to create movies able to resolve 3D trajectories with velocities of kilometers per second.	May 2023
	Antiviral activity of natural phenolic compounds in complex at an allosteric site of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease Vasundara Srinivasan , Hévila Brognaro , Prince R. Prabhu , Edmarcia Elisa De Souza , Sebastian Günther , Patrick Y. A. Reinke , Thomas J. Lane , Helen Ginn , Huijong Han , Wiebke Ewert , Janina Sprenger , Faisal H. M. Koua , Sven Falke , Nadine Werner , Hina Andaleeb , Najeeb Ullah , Bruno Alves Franca , Mengying Wang , Angélica Luana C. Barra , Markus Perbandt , Martin Schwinzer , Christina Schmidt , Lea Brings , Kristina Lorenzen , Robin Schubert , Rafael Rahal Guaragna Machado , Erika Donizette Candido , Danielle Bruna Leal Oliveira , Edison Luiz Durigon , Stephan Niebling , Angelica Struve Garcia , Oleksandr Yefanov , Julia Lieske , Luca Gelisio , Martin Domaracky , Philipp Middendorf , Michael Groessler , Fabian Trost , Marina Galchenkova , Aida Rahmani Mashhour , Sofiane Saouane , Johanna Hakanpää , Markus Wolf , Maria Garcia Alai , Dusan Turk , Arwen R. Pearson , Henry N. Chapman , Winfried Hinrichs , Carsten Wrenger , Alke Meents , Christian Betzel Communications Biology 5 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03737-7 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) covers multiple functions. Beside the cysteine-protease activity, facilitating cleavage of the viral polypeptide chain, PLpro has the additional and vital function of removing ubiquitin and ISG15 (Interferon-stimulated gene 15) from host-cell proteins to support coronaviruses in evading the host’s innate immune responses. We identified three phenolic compounds bound to PLpro, preventing essential molecular interactions to ISG15 by screening a natural compound library. The compounds identified by X-ray screening and complexed to PLpro demonstrate clear inhibition of PLpro in a deISGylation activity assay. Two compounds exhibit distinct antiviral activity in Vero cell line assays and one inhibited a cytopathic effect in non-cytotoxic concentration ranges. In the context of increasing PLpro mutations in the evolving new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the natural compounds we identified may also reinstate the antiviral immune response processes of the host that are down-regulated in COVID-19 infections.	Aug 2022

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