BioMAX is the first X-ray macromolecular crystallography beamline of MAX IV Laboratory, which begins its user operations in 2017. It is a state-of-the-art resource accommodating multiple cutting edge experimental possibilities. The design goal for BioMAX was to create a stable and reliable beamline that is user friendly. The beamline experiment set-up is highly automated, in terms of both sample handling hardware and data analysis, including feedback on the data collection.

The X-ray beam focus is 20 x 5 μm2 at the sample position with a photon flux of 2 x 1013 ph/s at 500 mA ring current. The operational energy range of the beamline is 5–25 keV. Alternatively, using aperture overfilling it is possible to obtain a stable 5 x 5 μm2 beam at the sample position. Due to its extensive energy tunability, BioMAX is an ideal source for de novo phasing using the anomalous signal of heavy elements. Beam defocusing creates a practically parallel beam, which can be used to resolve extremely large unit cells > 1000 Å at high resolution. Due to its small beam cross-section and optional parallel beam, BioMAX is an optimal experimental set-up for X-ray crystallography using microcrystals and ultra large unit cells.

 

 

 

Beamline Energy Range
5 - 25 [eV]
Spot Size On Sample Hor
20 [um]
Spot Size On Sample Vert
5 [um]
Endstations or Setup

Endstation

Description
The BioMAX experimental station is based on a MD3 micro-diffractometer and a Dectris Eiger 16M detector. Samples are shifted to the diffractometer from a cryogenic environment by robotic techniques, using the ISARA sample changer.
Diffractometer
Arinax MD3 micro-diffractometer
Spectrometer
Energy-dispersive silicon-drift fluorescence detector.
Endstation Operative
Yes

Sample

Sample Type
Crystal
Mounting Type
Crystal mounted on magnetic pin.
The ISARA sample-changer dewar capacity: 29 UniPucks and 464 samples.
Required Sample Size
X = 1 [um], Y = 1 [um], Z = 1 [um]

Techniques usage

Diffraction / Crystallography (biological macromolecules)
Protein crystallography using ultra-precise goniometry. Raster or helical scans are available.
Additional methods: MAD, SAD and SSAD.

Manipulator or Sample stage

Description
Arinax MD3 Microdiffractometer.
Provides goniometry for the crystal samples.
Translator Stages
4
Cradles
3
Positioning Precision
X = 100 [nm], Y = 100 [nm]
Range Of Movement
X = 108 [mm], Y = 6 [mm]

Sample Environment

Description
Cryogenic sample handling
The ISARA sample changer provides cryogenic storage (LN2) of samples before measurements and transfer to the MD3 diffractometer.
Description
Humidity control.
The MD3 diffractometer can be equipped with a HC-Lab Humidity Controller.
Temperature
296 [K]
Humidity
30 - 99.5 [%]
Description
High viscosity extrusion injector for serial crystallography.
Please contact staff for availability.
Detectors

Dectris Eiger 16M

Type
Dectris Eiger 16M hybride-pixel detector
Description
Sensitive area: 311.2 × 327.8 mm2.
Max. frame rate 16M / 4M Mode: 133 Hz / 750 Hz
Pixel Size
X = 75 [um], Y = 75 [um]
Array Size
X = 4150 [pixel], Y = 4371 [pixel]
Thickness
450 [um]
Atomic Composition
Silicon

Detection

Detected Particle
Photon

Fluorescence detector

Type
Fluorescence detector
Description
Amptek FastSDD silicon-drift detector coupled to a digital pulse processor (Quantum Detectors Xspress3mini).
Atomic Composition
Silicon

Detection

Detected Particle
Photon
contacts
Ana Gonzalez
Techniques
Diffraction
  • Crystallography (biological macromolecules)
Disciplines
Life Sciences & Biotech
  • Molecular and cellular biology
Address
MAX IV Laboratory
Fotongatan 2
224 84 Lund
Sweden
control/Data analysis
Control Software Type
  • MXCuBE V3
Data Output Type
  • Diffraction data set
Data Output Format
  • HDF5