BioSAXS Beamline
The BioSAXS beamline is a high-flux beamline dedicated to solution small angle scattering experiments at the Australian Synchrotron. BioSAXS is part of the BR-GHT suite of beamlines and entered user operations in 2023 cycle 3. The primary role of the beamline is to record small angle scattering patterns on solution samples, either equilibrated or evolving, using a Pilatus3X 2M area detector. Our aim is to provide a streamlined and largely automated experience, from sample presentation to data capture and processing.
If you have any questions about the beamline or its capabilities in the context of your science, please contact the beamline team at as-biosaxs@ansto.gov.au. The BioSAXS team strongly encourages all users, including experienced users, to contact the beamline team prior to submitting proposals to discuss their experiments. BioSAXS is a new beamline with new systems and not everything may work as you expect from your prior experience on other beamlines.
- 1 Useful Links For BioSAXS Wiki Pages
- 2 New to SAXS?
- 3 Your samples can be measured in static capillaries or under flow. Check out the BioSAXS Sample Environments
- 4 Beamline Technical Details
- 4.1 Source
- 4.2 Monochromator
- 4.3 Photon Energy Range
- 4.4 Detector
- 5 Should I apply for BioSAXS or SAXS/WAXS beamtime?
Useful Links For BioSAXS Wiki Pages
For planning your experiment:
For after your experiment:
New to SAXS?
Visit the SAXS/WAXS beamline wiki at this link, where you can order a free copy of the Anton Paar SAXS Guide and see some of our previous beamline workshops.
Your samples can be measured in static capillaries or under flow. Check out the BioSAXS Sample Environments
Beamline Technical Details
Source
BioSAXS has a superconducting undulator source, capable of providing an X-ray beam with flux on the order of 1014 photons/s at the sample position. The typical operating flux on the beamline is on the order of 1013 photons/s. The undulator is optimized for peak flux at a photon energy of 12.4 keV and this will be the primary photon energy used for experiments.
Monochromator
The use of a double multilayer monochromator increases the flux relative to a standard double crystal monochromator. The multilayer on BioSAXS comprises B4C/Mo layers and an energy bandpass (dE/E) of 1.0%. As a result, BioSAXS is not suited to anomalous SAXS experiments, which rely on finer energy resolution. If you wish to perform anomalous SAXS measurements, please reach out to the SAXS/WAXS beamline team to discuss your requirements.
Photon Energy Range
The design of the BioSAXS monochromator limits the available photon energy range of the beamline to 8-15 keV. The beamline nominally operates at 12.4 keV and if an alternative photon energy is required to obtain a particular q-range this should be discussed with the beamline team prior to proposal submission. If you require photon energies outside of this range, please discuss this with the beamline team prior to submitting your proposal as your experiment may be more suited to the SAXS/WAXS beamline that has a wider accessible energy range of 5-21 keV.
Detector
BioSAXS has a Pilatus3X 2M detector, similar to that deployed on the SAXS/WAXS beamline. The detector is mounted on a translation stage in a large vacuum vessel, allowing it to reach distances of ~700-7400 mm from the sample position, depending on the sampling environment. With a photon energy of 12.4 keV, this should allow a minimum q of ~0.003 Å-1 at the longest sample-detector distance and a maximum q of ~2.4 Å-1 at the shortest sample-detector distance. Please try out the new interactive q-range prediction app, which you can use to simulate different detector configurations on BioSAXS and SAXS/WAXS to determine if your experimental q-range requirements can be met on each instrument.
Should I apply for BioSAXS or SAXS/WAXS beamtime?
For solutions that are automatically loaded please apply for BioSAXS beamtime where the Coflow Autoloader is used. Exceptions include samples or experiment design not feasible for BioSAXS (such as anomalous scattering, photon energy requirement (>15 KeV), high viscosity etc.) for which the SAXS/WAXS beamline will maintain a limited capability for automatic liquid handling.
Proposals requesting SEC-SAXS under Coflow should go to BioSAXS
Proposals requesting Batch measurements for samples in solution should go to BioSAXS unless anomalous scattering is required
Proposals requesting the flowthrough geometry with a reacting sample flowing through a capillary mounted in the X-ray beam should go to BioSAXS
Proposals requesting user-supplied or bespoke fluidic mixers/reaction vessels should go to BioSAXS
Proposals requesting solution samples in static capillaries (ambient or temperature-controlled) can be sent to BioSAXS or SAXS/WAXS
Proposals requesting anomalous SAXS should go to SAXS/WAXS
Contact staff at as-scattering@ansto.gov.au for guidance on specific experiment plans and beamline suitability