Researchers have found that addition of paclitaxel (a type of antitumoral drug) to microtubules alters their structure. This compound modulates the material properties of microtubules by converting destabilized growing microtubule ends into regions resistant to depolymerisation, eventually leading to cell death. Results were obtained at the NCD beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron.
The X-ray Science Facilities, with the intent to further coordinate and strengthen their support of scientific research and solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, assembled for a remote access video SR20 Summit on 23-24 April 2020 and adopted the following Action Plan.
The ALBA Synchrotron has published its annual report. This document covers the most remarkable activities of 2019, a selection of scientific highlights, technology reviews and facts & figures of the facility last year.
The properties of topological insulators are mostly dominated by their peculiar topological surface electronic states. Interfacing them with magnetic materials and harnessing their interactions can give rise to interesting quantum and topological phenomena that have inspired novel spintronic applications. Led by researchers from the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, an international team with collaborators from CFM-San Sebastian, ETH Zurich, ISM-Trieste and the ALBA Synchrotron, have demonstrated that it is possible to balance electronic and magnetic interactions between single magnetic ions and topological surface states by coordinating the ions with different organic-ligands, leading to possible new routes to manipulate the electron spin at the interface with a topological insulator.
The IT Systems Section of the Computing & Controls Division of ALBA has started up a virtual server to process data for the folding@home international project, which is joining researchers around the world working to better understand the 2019 Coronavirus to accelerate the open science effort to develop new life-saving therapies.
