Case Study: HeXI 1 MeV Beamline
At turboTEM, we are proud to be playing a key role in the development of the High-energy Electron Xtallography Instrument (HeXI) — a pioneering project set to transform molecular structure determination in life sciences and pharmaceutical research.
Funded by the Wellcome Trust’s “Electrifying Life Sciences” grant and Diamond Light Source, the HeXI project will deliver a dedicated electron diffractometer that will unlock the potential of Mega-electron volt (MeV) electrons for investigating molecular structures from nanometer-scale crystals. HeXI will bridge a critical gap in structural analysis, capturing high-resolution data from crystals 300 nm – 1 μm in thickness, a historically difficult size range to study.
3D reconstruction of turboTEM condenser lenes & beam controls for the HeXI horizontal beam line.
Precision Lens Engineering by turboTEM
turboTEM will design and fabricate three precision electromagnetic condenser lenses, forming a vital part of the HeXI beam delivery system. The system comprises three low-field solenoid lenses (CL1,CL2 & CL3).
These lenses are engineered to deliver an exceptionally precise electron beam with less than 25 μrad semi-angle convergence & beam diameter below 3 microns
turboTEM will also design & fabricate the beam deflector/stigamtor assemblies into the beam line configuration for maximum control. This level of beam control is essential for the ultra-high-fidelity diffraction performance required by the HeXI instrument. Our expertise in electron optics, electromagnetic design, and precision fabrication enables us to meet the demanding tolerances needed for advanced scientific instrumentation.
Opening New Possibilities in Structural Biology
The HeXI platform is being developed to support three powerful data collection modes:
3D Electron Diffraction (3DED) for rapid small-molecule structure determination, Cryogenic 3DED (cryo-3DED) for frozen-hydrated protein crystals & Serial Electron Diffraction (serial-ED) for ultra-low-dose and time-resolved studies
These capabilities will directly support researchers working in – structural biology – synthetic chemistry – pharmaceutical discovery & molecular science. By enabling structure determination from crystals that fall between the current limits of conventional TEM and synchrotron X-ray systems, HeXI has the potential to accelerate discovery workflows across multiple scientific disciplines.
Supporting Innovation Through Electron Optics Excellence
At turboTEM, we are passionate about enabling scientific breakthroughs through world-class electron optical engineering. Our involvement in the HeXI project reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting cutting-edge research infrastructure and advancing the capabilities of next-generation microscopy and diffraction systems. We are excited to contribute our expertise to a project that has the potential to reshape structural analysis in life sciences.
The High-energy Electron Xtallography Instrument (HeXI) project aims to investigate the use of mega electron volt (MeV) electrons in macromolecular structure determination by 3DED – Credit Alistair Siebert.
Designed & Made in Ireland
Each Bespoke Condenser Lens is designed and manufactured here in Ireland using the highest quality materials. Every Condenser Lens is laser engraved with a serial number to trace it through manufacturing and quality control and out into the field for installation. After numbering, each unit is dimensionally inspected and shipped with a report certificate.