Sustainable Remote Access to Chromatography-Coupled SAXS at Synchrotron Radiation Sources

• Applicants: Dr. Clement Blanchet, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Sander Smits
• Subject Area: Biophysics ; Analytical Chemistry ; Experimental Condensed Matter Physics ; Production Automation and Assembly Technology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 566288315

Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) is an essential technique for structural biology and biophysics, allowing researchers to study the structure and interactions of biomolecules in solution. The increasing demand for chromatography-coupled SAXS (SEC-SAXS), which enables high-resolution structural characterization of biomolecular mixtures, requires advanced instrumentation and optimized workflows. However, the current operational model at synchrotron beamlines relies on on-site presence, limiting accessibility, increasing travel-related carbon emissions, and reducing efficiency in beamline utilization. This project aims to develop and implement a sustainable remote-access model for chromatography-coupled SAXS, enabling researchers to conduct, monitor, and analyze experiments remotely. By integrating real-time control of chromatography systems, automated data collection workflows, and enhanced software interfaces, this initiative will minimize the need for on-site presence, optimize beamtime efficiency, and improve overall resource utilization. The proposed infrastructure upgrades will ensure seamless, user-friendly remote operation, reducing experimental downtime and preventing sample loss through real-time intervention. The optimized remote-access system will allow a broader range of users to benefit from SAXS experiments, regardless of their physical proximity to the facility. This will improve flexibility in beamline operations, reduce logistical constraints, and make synchrotron research more efficient and sustainable. Additionally, the automation and optimization strategies developed in this project could serve as a model for other SAXS facilities, supporting a transition toward digitally integrated and resource-efficient research environments. Through these efforts, this project will advance structural biology, drug discovery, and nanotechnology research, making SAXS more widely available, efficient, and environmentally responsible. The outcome will enhance the scientific impact of synchrotron-based SAXS while setting a precedent for sustainable and digitally integrated beamline operations.

• DFG Programme: Further Instrumentation Related Funding
• Major Instrumentation: Hardware extension for HPLC at P12