BioXFEL Collaboration Grants

Published August 12, 2015 This content is archived.

UB is helping revolutionize structural biology as the lead institution in an 8-member NSF Science and Technology Center known as BioXFEL. The center's researchers are developing X-ray lasers that capture biological molecules in atomic detail, view their functional motions by making molecular movies and observe interactions in their native environments.

Print

X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFEL) produce a stream of unimaginably intense X-ray and in unimaginably short pulses, so intense and so rapid that they can capture the fastest biological processes. X-ray Free Electron Lasers offer a unique and exciting opportunity to explore biological mechanisms in areas that were previously thought impossible. Multiple disciplines are needed to make full use of this process. We need technology to prepare and deliver samples as well as algorithms that deal efficiently with massive quantities of data and can extract structural information.

To get more UB faculty participating in the BioXFEL center, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development has established a seed fund for new projects that would complement existing projects. Project participants will have access to methods, techniques and algorithms developed by BioXFEL and will be expected to work collaboratively with the BioXFEL team to bring their research to fruition.

Suitable research projects might include:

  • enabling novel methods to use XFELs for biological research;
  • making use of existing XFEL capabilities to probe new biology; or
  • developing techniques that can be applied with XFEL sources to image biological action. 

Deadline is September 28, 2015.