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Aleksi Sutinen, ARISE Fellow at EMBL Hamburg, talks about his work supporting beamline users
As an ARISE Fellow in the Blanchet Team at EMBL Hamburg, Aleksi Sutinen works on the implementation of time-resolved experiments at the beamline P12 dedicated to small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). During his PhD in Petri Kursula’s research group at the University of Oulu in Finland, where he studied myelin membrane proteins, Sutinen visited EMBL Hamburg many times as a P12 beamline user. Now, he supports users coming to conduct experiments at the same beamline.
Here, he talks about striving for the best in beamline experiments, supporting users, and new horizons for SAXS at EMBL Hamburg.
What do you think is the most exciting thing about your work?
The different experiments at the beamline. It is fascinating to see different biological systems and research questions, which we attempt to answer with SAXS. The experiments are quite simple: a sample is put into an observation cell and exposed to X-rays. The scattering pattern of the sample is recorded into a detector from which it is possible to deduce the shape of the molecule and its dimensions. The beamline has many versatile sample environments. Using different instrumental configurations, we can, for example, separate the sample into different components, mix different components, apply heat, and illuminate with visible or ultraviolet light. My job is to try to help determine appropriate data collection parameters, assist with the experiment, and advise on data analysis.
How do you see your work evolving over the next few years?
We are in the business of making the best experiments possible. Therefore, I try to ensure that each user leaves with lots of publication-worthy data. It entails making sure that all the necessary equipment is available and ready for the measurements. Moreover, it is important to have a general understanding of the research question to provide better suggestions for a successful experiment. In essence, my work is about meeting the needs of the user by engaging with them and applying procedures to improve the experiment. Having the capabilities and equipment is paramount, but it is almost as important be on the same reference frame with the user regarding the objective of the experiment.
What do you think will be the next big improvement in structural biology methods at EMBL Hamburg?
There is increasing demand for tapping into traditional domains, such as time-resolved experiments, or into general dynamics of biological system components in microfluidic platforms. These are aspects for which SAXS can be especially useful. We are currently developing these features, and they are also a big part of EMBL’s plans at the future synchrotron PETRA IV. In short, new capabilities will be made available in tandem with existing features. I think it will then be one the best Bio-SAXS beamlines in the world.
What do you think has been EMBL Hamburg’s greatest impact so far, and what do you think might be on the horizon?
EMBL is at the cutting edge of studying biological molecules using synchrotron light. Over the course of 50 years, a great number of biological structures have been deciphered at EMBL Hamburg both by external users and internal research groups. Moreover, the beamlines have facilitated experiments for other researchers and for industry.
At EMBL Hamburg, we have been at the forefront of each step forward. A notable example is automating beamline data collection and interpretation.
What do you do in your spare time?
I do all kinds of very Nordic stuff, such as hiking, skiing, cycling, fishing, picking berries, hunting, etc. The basic concept is going outside. I have enjoyed the North German plains – a change of scenery on a positive note. I always have a four-legged companion with me.
At what age did you decide you wanted to be a scientist, and what triggered that?
My parents worked in geology and botany, so I started running around research field stations and expedition sites as a kid. Later, they gave me field instruments to handle and help out with the work. As a consequence, the environment I grew up led me to study science at the university and continue in science as a profession.
