The impact of structural dynamics on three-dimensional bioimaging with X-ray free-electron lasers

x射线激光可以潜在地确定现有技术无法达到的生物分子的结构。强烈的超快脉冲通过衍射编码结构，比破坏过程撕裂分子的速度更快。事实上，损伤过程在衍射过程中就开始了，并且一直存在问题。目前尚不清楚损伤是否会阻止分子取向的测定，而分子取向是实验设计中的关键步骤。本课题将运用统计理论解决这一问题，探讨该技术的可行性和准确性。新发展的理论将使我们能够进行能够测量生物分子损伤影响的实验，为确定结构的新方法铺平道路。

X-ray lasers can potentially determine the structures of biological molecules that are inaccessible to existing techniques. Intense ultrafast pulses encode the structure via diffraction faster than damage processes rip the molecule apart. In fact, damage processes begin during diffraction and remain problematic. It is not known if damage will prevent the determination of molecular orientations, a critical step in the experimental design. This project will solve this problem with a statistical theory, probing the feasibility and accuracy of the technique. The newly developed theory will enable us to perform experiments capable of measuring the effects of damage in biological molecules, paving the way for new methods of structure determination.