Dear All, We are pleased to announce our iNEXT course: “X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of macromolecules: from data collection to structures”. This intensive course is organized from May-15 to May-19, 2017 at the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu in Oulu, Finland. It is organized in the context of the iNEXT Horizon2020 project (http://www.inext-eu.org ), together with Diamond (Oxford, UK) and Biocenter Oulu. The course will include an introduction on the methods of protein crystallography (Rupp), neutron crystallography (Oksanen/Podjarny) and SAXS/SANS-approaches (Svergun). Also data collection at synchrotrons (Thunnissen), new perspectives when using the new long-wavelength beamline at Diamond (Wagner) and when using XFEL-technology (Hajdu) will be addressed. Tutorials include the validation tools of the PDB-deposition server (Rupp), as well as data processing (DIALS, Waterman; XDS, Rower), experimental phasing (SHELX, Gruene), molecular replacement phasing (CCP4, Lebedev) and neutron structure refinement (Oksanen, Podjarny). Remote data collection (Diamond, Aller, Powell) of crystals from participating students is scheduled for the last day of the course. The course provides extensive opportunities for the students to work with the presented software in our linux class room and to interact with the expert teachers.
Students are encouraged to send crystals in advance, which will then be shipped to Diamond, for remote X-ray data collection. Students are also encouraged to bring their own raw X-ray data images which are difficult to process or their own X-ray data sets for which molecular replacement calculations have turned out to be difficult. There is no registration fee and we aim to cover also the accommodation costs and meals of the students. Application for the course can be sent in January and the deadline is 31.01.2017. The course is aimed at PhD-students and postdocs working on structural biology projects using X-ray or neutron diffraction methods. The application should include a motivation letter and a letter from the supervisor. Detailed information on how to apply, including a list of confirmed lectures and tutorials, is available at http://www.oulu.fi/biocenter/instruct-nac/courses/oulu . On behalf of the local organisers, Rik Wierenga and Lari Lehtiö
