You can read the latest crystallography news now in my column on SpectroscopyNOW.com, just hit the X-ray site. David Bradley Science Writer writes the monthly news column for three sections of the SpectroscopyNOW.com site - Spectral Lines, Resonants and X-factors.
The latest issue of X-factors is now online.
Cryo-electron microscopy experiments on viral coat proteins obtained by US scientists have been compared with XRD results on related proteins from another virus to reveal that the two distinct viruses use the same protein fold in their outer protective shells, or capsids. The viral revelation hints that although the two sit on separate branches of the family tree, they shared a common ancestor a billion years ago. The research is providing new clues as to how viruses have evolved and might one day offer new targets for disease prevention.
The tiny D-CIXS X-ray spectrometer aboard ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft has detected calcium on the Moon unambiguously for the first time via remote sensing. The fifteen centimetre cube that is D-CIXS will measure the composition of the Moon by observing its glow in solar X-rays, each chemical element providing a characteristic signal.
X-ray fluorescence holography (XFH) is a relatively new technique that allows researchers to investigate the local three-dimensional atomic structure around specific elements. Japanese researchers have recently exploited its power to investigate the effects of irradiation on the electrical and magnetic properties of high-temperature superconductors.