Editorial

As we head towards the end of 2015 we can reflect on a very productive year so far. We’ve seen first light B24, first data for I23, and the installation of the B07 endstation on I09’s soft X-ray branch. We’ve passed milestones in data volumes, and published almost 3,600 papers since opening to users in 2007. Since our last issue a new government has been formed, and with the science spending review underway Andrew Harrison outlines the collaborative and adaptable approach to funding being taken to ensure Diamond reaches its full potential.

In this issue we catch up with some of the facilities recently to have come online or ramp up their throughput. The new Krios cryo-electron microscope is now available for users to investigate the structure of individual cells and to visualise single biomolecules. We have news from the Solution State SAXS beamline B21, I12’s new rig for in situ high-force testing on metal samples, and MX news on the fragment screening service and I03’s new sample-changing robot, which allows for a much higher number of samples over a 24hr period.

We have a range of research highlights covering studies on how HIV progression is stalled due to genetic differences in how the immune system behaves upon HIV infection; manipulating the crystal structure of solar cells to influence efficiency; and the ordering of catalyst nanoparticles for faster chemical reactions. We also see how steel’s crystalline grains respond to deformation during car manufacturing, with samples provided by BMW-MINI.

In a new feature for this issue, we hear from one of our users Dr Jon Hawkings from Bristol University, who has been using the Phase III beamline I08 to analyse iron nanoparticles in glacial sediments. Here he discusses the importance of iron in the chemical makeup of our oceans, and how I08 has played a key role in his research.

Updates from the computing groups highlight the increasing scale of data handled here at Diamond, and the Industrial Liaison team give us the lowdown on their collaborations with industrial partners and the upcoming iCAR conference. The first of our autumn feature articles takes a look at the life and times of Henry Moseley, and the second gives our users a view into the complexity of keeping the synchrotron storage ring up and running.

Finally, former summer student Ros shares her views on science communication against the backdrop of the Harwell Campus open day in July, which saw over 6,000 visitors to Diamond in one day and could not have been done without the amazing support and enthusiasm of Diamond’s dedicated staff and user community.

We hope you enjoy this issue, and if you have any feedback, please feel free to drop us a line at [email protected].

Isabelle Boscaro-Clarke
Head of Communications, Diamond Light Source Ltd.

We would like to thank the authors and all colleagues who contributed to this publication. With special thanks to our editor David Johns.