SwissFEL Cristallina Endstation
Cristallina is the third endstation of the SwissFEL ARAMIS hard X-ray beamline. It serves both quantum science (Cristallina-Q) and structural biology (Cristallina-MX), enabling the imaging of quantum many-body states under extreme conditions and serial femtosecond protein crystallography, respectively.
The Cristallina-MX experimental stations are designed for serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX), and operated by the Cristallina-MX team with the support of the Macromolecular Crystallography Group. The SwissMX fixed-target SFX experimental station is in user operations since January 2024. Experimental stations for different means of sample delivery are in conception.
The Cristallina-Q experimental stations provide unique high-field and low-temperature capabilities, and are operated by the Cristallina-Q team within the Quantum Photon Science Group. Cristallina-Q has been partially funded by the University of Zurich, the Swiss National Science Foundation and PSI via the R’Equip scheme. The experimental stations include the Ultralow-T Vectormagnet, open to users since January 2025, and the Pulsed Magnet, which is currently under commissioning. Both experimental stations rely on heavy-load diffractometers to orient the sample in the beam.
The overall Cristallina endstation layout allows for reshuffling of the experimental stations between the X-ray beam experiment position and dedicated preparation areas by sliding the setups over a granite floor by means of airpads. The Cristallina beamline can operate with both pink and monochromatic beam, and provides a variable beam size at the sample position down to smaller than 2 µm using bendable KB mirrors.
Cristallina News and Scientific Highlights
Hypotenseur commutable à la lumière
De l’arrêt à l’activation: des scientifiques du PSI ont observé comment l’effet d’un médicament contre l’hypertension artérielle pouvait être activé et désactivé en exposant ce dernier à la lumière.
Filming a vitamin B12 photoreceptor in action
SwissFEL shows the molecular events that occur when a vitamin B12 photoreceptor absorbs light
Kelvin: l’échelle du froid
Zéro Kelvin, c’est le zéro absolu de la température. Comme la chaleur est de l’énergie, le froid, lui, est synonyme d’énergie moindre. Mais il n’existe pas d’énergie négative. Exprimé sur l’échelle Celsius qui nous est familière, zéro Kelvin (0 K) correspond à – 273,15 degrés Celsius: rien ne peut être plus froid. Certains scientifiques du PSI réalisent des expériences à basses températures, proches de ce chiffre; d’autres bricolent pour abaisser la température le plus efficacement possible.
Publications
-
Rios-Santacruz R, Poddar H, Pounot K, Heyes DJ, Coquelle N, Mackintosh MJ, et al.
Integrated structural dynamics uncover a new B12 photoreceptor activation mode
Nature. 2026; 650(02): 1045-1052. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10074-2
DORA PSI -
Stipp R, Bertrand Q, Trabuco M, Duran‐Corbera A, Ignazzitto MT, Glover H, et al.
Structural mechanism of an efficacy photoswitch targeting the β2‐adrenergic receptor
Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2026; 65(18): e17995 (11 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202517995
DORA PSI -
Gorel A, Shoeman RL, Hartmann E, Nizinski S, Appleby MV, Beale EV, et al.
Testing the limits: serial crystallography using unpatterned fixed targets
IUCrJ. 2025; 12(6): 692-709. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052252525008371
DORA PSI