A giant is being built in Lund, Sweden - MAX IV

llustrations of MAX IV exterior, by Fojab.

In 2015, the MAX IV will be operational in Lund, Sweden. The goal is to be world-leading in producing synchrotron radiation for scientific purposes. When charged, particles like electrons and protons are moving close to the speed of light and are bent by magnetic fields –  synchrotron radiation is created. This radiation contains many different wavelengths but with diffraction grating you can filter out x-ray radiation, which is the prefered choice when probing materials at the molecular level.

By leading x-rays into different beamlines, scientists can use the radiation for their research. By manipulating gratings and filters, scientists can vary the x-rays and by doing so, examine their material in detail. MAX IV will help scientists in the following areas:

• catalysts
• batteries 
• solar cells
• LED
• monitors
• computers
• cell phones
• drugs
• fuel cells
• clays for water purification or storage of nuclear waste
• artificial photosynthesis

Since 1987, MAX-lab has been using synchrotron radiation for studying materials molecule by molecule. When MAX IV is ready to use in 2015, it will also be possible to study chemical processes in real time.  

MAX IV will be used by various industries for targeted research and for basic research. It is in the areas of material science, biotechnology, and medicin that usable discoveries will be made.

Sources in Swedish:
https://www.maxlab.lu.se/node/209
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAX-lab
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/576?programid=412

Transcription and translation - language for cells

When I went to high school and university there was always the problem of visualizing the biochemistry. Especially how genes in DNA gets transcribed and translated to protein. To bad clips like this was not around in those days...


Clip from the PBS production DNA: The Secret of Life