The main thematic area of the SAXS beamline will focus on structural studies of biological non-crystalline systems, in particular in solutions (proteins and their complexes, nucleic acids, lipids), polymers and copolymers, composite systems, various types of nanostructures (nanocomposites, nanoparticles, molecular sieves, etc. ) and a wide range of new materials. The structure of these types of objects, which are difficult to characterize using other methods, is most often studied using X-ray radiation and the small-angle scattering technique. The measurement capabilities of the SAXS measurement line will enable the implementation of a number of projects in the field of biophysics, structural biology, soft matter physics, solid state physics and materials chemistry. Representative research topics may include:

• Research on the low-resolution structure of proteins and nucleic acids in solutions, comparison of structures obtained in solution with structures in the crystal,
• Monitoring conformational changes of protein molecules and the stability of protein or protein-nucleic complexes at high pressures,
• Analysis of the structure and stability of viruses in solution,
• The influence of selected chemical and physical parameters (temperature, pH, ionic strength, etc.) on the stability of protein complexes. Research on the structure and stability of dispersions of metallic, magnetic, hybrid, semiconductor and polymer nanoparticles,
• Time-resolved SAXS studies of conformational changes in proteins and protein complexes,
• Structural research on polymer, lipid or peptide drug carriers and gene therapy systems,
• Analysis of the microstructure of polymers, copolymers, polymer composites and nanocomposites,
• The influence of processing parameters on the structure and physicochemical properties of polymer and composite systems,
• Research on the structure of biological membranes, the influence of physical factors (temperature, pressure, magnetic field, etc.) or chemical factors (addition of antibiotics, surfactants, peptides and other compounds) on the stability of membrane structures,
• Research on the microstructure of fuel cell components,
• The structure of magnetic nanoparticles and the ability to disperse them in polymer matrices or lipid systems,
• Structural studies of molecular sieves. Structural analysis of other new materials and biomaterials.