Synchrotron SOLEIL / PX2A

PROXIMA 2A (PX2A) is an international platform dedicated to X-ray microcrystallography for biological macromolecules (protein, DNA, RNA) and small molecules (pharmaceuticals, MOFs, POMs). As a state-of-the-art light line, it serves a large community of integrative structural biologists, as well as a number of chemists.Open to external users since March 2013, PROXIMA-2A provides an intense, micro-focused (10 µm * 5 µm, FWHM) and energy-tunable (6-18 keV) X-beam for measurements from crystals of all sizes (1 ? 500 µm). PROXIMA-2A is specialised in measurements of bio-crystallographic data on macromolecules, as is PROXIMA-1. Equipped with a fast, large-area X-ray detector coupled with a robotic sample exchanger, the light line allows the study of a very large number of crystals in a short time. Sophisticated data collection strategies are routinely available taking advantage of the micro X-ray beam, a kappa geometry goniometer and an ultra-high resolution limit (0.6 Å). Crystallization plates can also be screened for so-called "in situ" collections using a specially designed goniometer. PROXIMA-2A is part of the biology and health science section, HelioBiology, at SOLEIL.

• Mr William SHEPARD