The ALMA survey to Resolve exoKuiper belt Substructures (ARKS), using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), has produced the sharpest images ever of 24 debris disks, the dusty belts left after planets finish forming. These disks are the cosmic equivalent of the teenage years for planetary systems—somewhat more mature than newborn, planet-forming disks, but not yet settled into adulthood.
Recent News
The NSF Very Large Array Helps Reveal Record-Breaking Stream of Super-Heated Gas from Nearby Galaxy
New radio images from the the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array trace a pair of powerful plasma jets launched by galaxy VV 340a’s central supermassive black hole, which appear to be driving hot coronal gas out of the galaxy and shutting down future star formation.
Radio Telescopes Uncover ‘Invisible’ Gas Around Record-Shattering Cosmic Explosion
Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have revealed a dense cocoon of gas around one of the most extreme cosmic explosions ever seen, showing that a ravenous black hole ripped apart a massive star and then lit up its surroundings with powerful X-rays.
AUI Wins Bid to Manage IMCA-CAT
Today, the Industrial Macromolecular Crystallography Association (IMCA) announced they have selected AUI as their management and operations contractor for the IMCA Collaborative Access Team (IMCA-CAT). In its role, AUI will provide IMCA members support in staffing, operations, development, representation, maintenance, safety, reporting and compliance. IMCA-CAT is a state-of-the-art research facility for pharmaceutical structure-based drug design. The research conducted sheds light on the form and function of proteins and potential therapeutics for treating disease. For more than 30 years, IMCA-CAT has served a critical role in advancing the development of new drugs.
“Promoting access to unique user facilities like the IMCA-CAT beamline is a core function of AUI,” AUI president Adam Cohen said. “We look forward to working with the IMCA Board and the IMCA-CAT team to help make scientific breakthroughs possible.”
IMCA was established in 1990 to support the operation and development of the IMCA-CAT facility at sector 17 of the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. Usage of the beamline is shared by the pharmaceutical members of IMCA including AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Evotec, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and Relay Therapeutics.
“Through AUI, we look forward to continued excellence in meeting the high-precision needs of the pharmaceutical industry,” said Lisa Keefe, executive director of IMCA-CAT. “Our professional staff ensure that the IMCA-CAT facility performs to the highest standards for quality, reliability, efficiency and productivity, while providing exceptional quality molecular structure data at ultra-high throughput rates, comprehensive security for confidentiality and protection of proprietary data, and expertise for challenging experiments.”
IMCA-CAT partners with the pharmaceutical industry members of IMCA to drive innovation and sustain cutting-edge operations, distinguishing the beamline as a cost-effective, world-class facility for pharmaceutical research.
About IMCA-CAT
The Industrial Macromolecular Crystallography Association Collaborative Access Team (IMCA-CAT) is an organization charged by the Industrial Macromolecular Crystallography Association (IMCA) to design, build, and operate an experimental facility at sector 17 of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, for pharmaceutical drug discovery research. Since its establishment in 1992, IMCA-CAT has played a pivotal role in accelerating structure-based drug development.
About AUI
AUI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1946 that builds, manages and operates large research and development (R&D) facilities for the federal government, including the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) facilities, the Center for American Supply Chain Resilience (CASCR), and the AUI Center for Advancing Therapeutics. AUI also develops and implements innovative approaches to education, outreach and workforce development.
Media Contact
Matt Schaub
[email protected]
Published April 1, 2025
Recent News
ALMA Reveals Teenage Years of New Worlds
The ALMA survey to Resolve exoKuiper belt Substructures (ARKS), using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), has produced the sharpest images ever of 24 debris disks, the dusty belts left after planets finish forming. These disks are the cosmic equivalent of the teenage years for planetary systems—somewhat more mature than newborn, planet-forming disks, but not yet settled into adulthood.
The NSF Very Large Array Helps Reveal Record-Breaking Stream of Super-Heated Gas from Nearby Galaxy
New radio images from the the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array trace a pair of powerful plasma jets launched by galaxy VV 340a’s central supermassive black hole, which appear to be driving hot coronal gas out of the galaxy and shutting down future star formation.
Radio Telescopes Uncover ‘Invisible’ Gas Around Record-Shattering Cosmic Explosion
Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have revealed a dense cocoon of gas around one of the most extreme cosmic explosions ever seen, showing that a ravenous black hole ripped apart a massive star and then lit up its surroundings with powerful X-rays.