BioSync: A Structural Biologist's Guide to Synchrotron Facilities

Current Synchrotron Information: Updated by synchrotron personnel

Beamline Descriptions Contain: Wavelength ranges, flux and optical configurations, detectors, hardware / software

Beamline Deposition Statistics: For synchrotrons and structural genomics projects around the world

Galleries of structures cross-linked to RCSB PDB structure summary pages plus tables of primary citations and general information.

Brief History: BioSync was formed in 1990 as a grassroots organization that would promote access to synchrotron radiation for scientists whose primary research is in the field of structural biology. The members were leaders of North American research groups that used synchrotron radiation for experiments in structural biology. The members of the original Steering Committee for BioSync was: Keith Watenpaugh – Chair, Hugh Huxley, Sung-Hou Kim, Keith Moffat, Janet Smith, Robert Sweet, and Edwin Westbrook.

The activities of BioSync included documenting the needs of structural biologists for synchrotron radiation, evaluating the status of existing and planned facilities, recommending funding and access policies, lobbying in Washington for improved support of synchrotron rings and beamlines, and organizing a web-based clearinghouse of beamline information.

The first action of BioSync was to empanel a committee to survey the field, document the need for changes in support of synchrotron structural biology, and predict future needs. The 1991 BioSync Report, prepared by this committee and edited by Keith Watenpaugh and Janet Smith, predicted the major expansion of synchrotron structural biology to come in the '90s, and provided essential documentation required by funding agencies to support the expansion.

A second community survey was conducted in 1997, and a report was written by a committee of synchrotron users, chaired by Ian Wilson. The 2nd BioSync Report addressed the importance of regional synchrotron facilities and documented the continuing strong demand for synchrotron beamtime. The 2nd BioSync report is available on the web at http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/biosync/.

A Third survey was conducted by Bob Sweet in 2001. In 2002 a BioSync report was published that provided an evaluation of the state of the field at that time. The committee responsible for the 2002 report was chaired by Peter Moore.

In 2003 a Subcommittee of the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee (BERAC), chaired by Janet Smith, published a report on Access Use of Synchrotron X-Radiation for Research in Structural Molecular Biology.

Early Biosync website activities were funded by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) through a supplement to the National Biomedical Computational Resource (NBCR) located within the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). Since 2004 Biosync website activities have been hosted and maintained by the RCSB PDB.