Research Collaboration ESRF / ILL / EMBL

Three major European institutes are established in Grenoble's science park :

the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), at the leading edge of neutron research
an outstation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the renowned international centre for molecular and structural biology
the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), one of the world's most powerful sources of synchrotron light

Nowhere else in the world can we find this combination of an extremely intense neutron source and an equally powerful synchrotron light source. As service institutes, the EMBL, ESRF and ILL make their facilities available to their visiting scientists. Every year, over 8 000 researchers from all over the world come to use them.

Topics:

X-rays and neutrons: two complementary techniques
Some examples of science
Building synergies and partnerships

X-rays and neutrons: two complementary techniques

X-rays and neutrons perceive the atomic world in different ways: X-rays see the electrons, while neutrons see the nuclei of atoms. Neutrons are also particularly sensitive to hydrogen. Combining the images produced by X-rays and neutrons therefore gives us a much fuller picture.

For example, if we wish to understand more completely how the thousands of atoms which make up a biological molecule are arranged, we can examine the molecule using both techniques.

X-rays give us an extremely precise image of the position of the atoms, with the exception of the hydrogen atoms which are barely visible since they only contain one electron. On the other hand, the same hydrogen atoms can be seen clearly using neutrons.

Some examples of science

Ground-breaking experiments at the very frontier of current research are carried out in fields as far apart as molecular biology, fundamental physics, materials science and environmental studies.

Understanding life
The study of proteins is essential for unravelling the complex processes of life. X-ray crystallography using synchrotron light is an extremely powerful technique for revealing the spatial arrangement of atoms in proteins, which is the key to understanding how they work. For example, the structural information obtained from such experiments can explain how viral proteins help viruses to penetrate cells and how viruses reproduce. This knowledge can then be used to improve the effectiveness of antiviral drugs.

Materials and metallurgy
Neutrons have the singular capacity to penetrate materials without causing damage; they can therefore help us understand the processes at work inside a material when it is damaged or transformed.

There are countless applications for this: analysing stresses in railway rails and jet turbines, testing the seams of welds, so crucial to our everyday safety, studying the behaviour of the different materials proposed for hydrogen storage devices, to name but a few.

Prehistoric copper-forging
Neutrons are also a precious tool for archaeologists, who use them to extract the inner secrets of rare and fragile objects. This is how it was discovered that the copper axe used by Ötzi, the famous mummified iceman found in 1991 in the Tyrolean Alps, had been manufactured in alternate stages of hot and cold forging. This was a major step forward in our understanding of the metallurgical techniques in use thousands of years ago.

Quantum dots
Synchrotron light is a tool well suited for determining the precise structure and composition of 'quantum dots', tiny clusters of atoms which can be observed and also manipulated. One possible application would be to use quantum dots as minute lasers which emit colours that cannot be produced in other ways. Research in nanotechnology certainly looks set to revolutionise consumer electronics of the future, paving the way for such things as quantum computers and flexible ultra-flat screens.

Quantum phenomena in a gravity field
Because they have mass (and are therefore sensitive to gravity), because they are neutral (and therefore insensitive to electromagnetic forces), and because they are very small, the ILL's neutrons are ideal tools for investigating the quantum effects of gravity. ILL scientists have shown that neutrons falling inside a gravity field do not plummet like a stone but descend in distinct "quantum leaps", in the same way that a moving film strip will appear to be continuous even though it is actually a series of separate images. We have yet to unlock all the secrets of quantum physics!

Fighting against cancer
The unique properties of synchrotron light can help to improve upon traditional X-ray techniques and open the door to developing completely new methods of imaging and therapy. For example, in pre-clinical studies, intense X-rays of a very special energy, associated with chemotherapy, have proven to be an extremely efficient way of treating brain tumours.

Building synergies and partnerships

In order to maintain their ranking on the international scene, European research institutes must optimise their resources and develop synergies at every level. The ESRF, ILL and EMBL are firmly committed to such a policy.

The Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB) is a collaboration between the three institutes on the site and the neighbouring Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS). As a centre of excellence in the field of structural genomics, the PSB will concentrate its research programmes on proteins and other biomolecules selected for their medical interest.

FAME38 is another example of cooperation. This laboratory is devoted to materials engineering and allows European industrialists and engineers to take advantage of both the ILL's neutrons and the ESRF's X-rays. FAME38 is particularly active in the field of transport (aeronautics, railways, etc.).