Bruker introduces new high performance X-ray crystallography systems for structural biology

At the XXII Congress and General Assembly of the IUCr held in Madrid, Bruker today launches the D8 QUEST^TM and D8 VENTURE^TM high performance X-ray crystallography systems for structural biology.

The D8 QUEST is based on the new IμS^TM microfocus source, a compact and robust, yet high-performance X-ray source. With over 200 systems installed, the IμS is already the worldwide leader in microfocus source technology. Its new version now features 30% higher intensity with unrivalled reliability, backed by the industry-leading three year warranty.

The larger enclosure D8 VENTURE features the new, high brightness TXS^TM microfocus rotating anode source, an even stronger X-ray source which combines the advantages of the microfocus source technology with the advantages of a rotating anode. The TXS delivers the highest intensity available for the home laboratory in a compact, stable and low-maintenance package. The TXS is the first rotating anode to offer fast and straightforward downstream alignment which allows the user to easily and quickly align the system with the doors of the radiation enclosure locked in compliance with the latest radiation safety regulations. Both, the IμS and the TXS sources deliver X-ray beams for laboratory use which are comparable in intensity to synchrotron facilities a few years ago.

To take full advantage of these new, stronger X-ray sources the new D8 QUEST and D8 VENTURE systems are both equipped with the new PHOTON 100^TM detector, the first CMOS active pixel sensor (CMOS APS) based detector available on the crystallography market. With a large active area of 10 x 10 cm² and the ability to run in dead time free continuous scan mode, the PHOTON 100 satisfies the demand for large, high sensitivity detectors and is ideally suited to replace older imaging plates or CCD detectors.

The D8 QUEST and D8 VENTURE are equipped with the advanced PROTEUM2 software for instrument operation and data processing. This new and efficient collision-avoidance software based on the latest robotic trajectory-planning algorithms makes experiment planning easier and more efficient than ever. The PROTEUM2 suite is easy to use for instrument control, data collection, integration and scaling, structure solution and model building. PROTEUM2 now features an automated pipeline for data acquisition and integration.

Dr. Duncan McRee, Chief Scientific Officer at Omscientia and one of the pioneers of high-throughput macromolecular crystallography, stated: "Structural biologists will significantly benefit from the new IμS and TXS high-brilliance, low-maintenance X-ray sources, as well as from the speed, sensitivity and convenience of the new large, air-cooled PHOTON 100 detector. In combination with the new automated data pipeline these systems are ideal for sample screening and provide extremely powerful platforms for home data collection."