What is it about?
The BioSAXS laboratory of the ITACA.SB Research Infrastructure, located at the Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council in Bari, is a state-of-the-art facility for investigating how biological systems and advanced materials are organized across different length scales. The laboratory combines several X-ray scattering techniques, including small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and scanning SAXS/WAXS microscopy. This unique combination makes it possible to move from the atomic and molecular scale to the nanoscale and, through spatially resolved measurements, to the organization of complex tissues and materials. The facility also integrates size-exclusion chromatography with SAXS (SEC-SAXS), allowing proteins and other macromolecules to be separated and structurally characterized directly in solution. The performance of the laboratory is demonstrated through studies of proteins, micelles, peptide-based fibres and bone tissue, showing how X-ray scattering can provide complementary information on molecular structure, nanoscale organization, crystallinity, orientation and spatial heterogeneity.
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Why is it important?
Understanding how structure determines function is essential in biology, medicine and materials science. Many biological tissues and advanced materials are hierarchically organized, meaning that their properties emerge from structural features extending from the atomic scale to the nanoscale and beyond. The BioSAXS laboratory makes it possible to investigate these different levels within a single experimental environment, reducing the need to move between different techniques and facilities. Importantly, capabilities that were traditionally associated with large-scale synchrotron facilities are now becoming accessible in a laboratory setting, providing greater flexibility and continuous access for researchers. The scanning SAXS/WAXS approach adds a further dimension by transforming X-ray scattering into a spatially resolved imaging technique, capable of mapping structural variations, orientation and heterogeneity across complex samples. This is particularly relevant for biological tissues, where local changes in collagen organization or mineral structure can be associated with disease or altered function. At the same time, BioSAXS and SEC-SAXS enable proteins and macromolecular complexes to be studied in solution and under conditions closer to their natural environment.
Perspectives
The laboratory opens a broad range of opportunities for the future of structural science. A major direction is the development of in situ and operando experiments, combining X-ray scattering with mechanical testing, controlled temperature, microfluidics and other sample environments to follow structural changes in real time. In structural biology, the integration of high-brilliance laboratory sources with SEC-SAXS, automated sample handling and advanced data analysis could make the routine characterization of proteins, protein–protein interactions and large macromolecular complexes increasingly accessible. Further developments in detector technology and data acquisition may enable dynamic processes such as folding, unfolding and conformational transitions to be followed with greater temporal resolution. The spatially resolved capabilities of scanning SAXS/WAXS microscopy also offer promising applications in materiomics, biomaterials and biomedicine, including the identification of structural signatures associated with pathological changes in tissues. In the longer term, combining multi-scale X-ray measurements with automation, artificial intelligence and complementary structural and biochemical techniques could provide a more complete picture of structure–function relationships. As part of ITACA.SB, the laboratory is also designed as an open-access resource for national and international users, fostering collaborations across biology, materials science and biomedical research (request access here: https://access.cerm.unifi.it/access?center=IC-CNR%20SAXS).
Cinzia Giannini
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
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This page is a summary of: The BioSAXS laboratory of the ITACA.SB Research Infrastructure, Journal of Applied Crystallography, August 2026, International Union of Crystallography,
DOI: 10.1107/s1600576726007132.
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