Title: Setup and Applications of SAXS/WAXS at the Life Sciences X-ray Scattering Beamline

Abstract: Small and Wide X-ray Scattering is a popular technique to characterize the size, shape and interactions amongst particles in solution. Scattering from particles in solution is isotropic and averaged over all particle orientations, thus 3-D information is lost. Resulting datasets are a 1-D profile that can span a particular q-range, depending on the experimental setup. Mathematical manipulations of the 1-D profile provide values such as the Radius of Gyration (Rg), a measure of particle compactness, maximal particle dimensions (Dmax), and particle flexibility. This information can be employed to build low resolution 3-D in silico models to visualize the overall shape of particles and can be combined with Molecular Dynamics Simulations, driven by the 1-D scattering profile. Here I will discuss the fundamentals of an X-ray scattering experiment, the beamline setup, and applications at the Life Sciences X-ray Beamline within the National Synchrotron Light Source II.

Host: Alex Rolband and Sharonda LeBlanc