Powerful X-rays reveal enzymes in action

Amazing stuff!

Unfortunately, the light source used is very rare! The SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is probably unique or one of a few in the world! There is also the Japan's SACLA.

"In brief

• Researchers used SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source to study the AspH enzyme – a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment – and the isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS) enzyme, which is essential for creating all of the medicinally important penicillin antibiotics.
• By leveraging the power of ultrabright, ultrashort X-ray bursts, they found that these enzymes catalyze reactions in surprising ways.
• If scientists can better understand the structure and function of these enzymes, they could potentially use them as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer, or for a method to develop new antibiotics.

...

In two recent papers, researchers used LCLS to study the AspH enzyme – a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment – and the isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS) enzyme, which is essential for creating penicillin.  ...

“We have gone from examining static structures to making ‘molecular movies’ of the dynamics of biological systems,” ..."

Powerful X-rays reveal enzymes in action | Stanford Report "Using SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source, researchers created “molecular movies” of an enzyme linked to cancer and another essential to penicillin production. The findings could inform future drug development."

MFX (Macromolecular Femtosecond Crystallography)

This artistic rendering shows planned instrumentation for a Macromolecular Femtosecond Crystallography (MFX) experimental station at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source.