Jean Jakoncic

Jean Jakoncic is the lead scientist at the highly Automated Macromolecular Crystallography beamline AMX at the
NSLS-II storage ring synchrotron. At AMX, we currently focus the beam to an area of 7x5 μm 2 with a measured
flux of 4.2 10 12 ph.s -1 at the sample position (13.5 keV). Users routinely collect data from crystals as small as 5
microns in one direction. These beam characteristics together with the high framing rate detector available to
users (Eiger 9M running at up to 238 Hz) have enabled data collection from crystals of the most challenging
projects. For some projects, data must be collected from dozens to hundreds to even thousands of micro-
crystals for solving the 3D crystal structure.

I’m a crystallographer with extensive expertise in all fields involved in MX encompassing crystallization,
data collection, structure solution, molecular structure refinement, structural interpretation, X-ray
instrumentation, automation, X-ray detector, X-ray methods, sample visualization, high-energy data collection,
low-energy data collection, beamline construction as well as high performance computing deployment to
support highly parallel computing for near instant feedback (required for a large fraction of the data collected at
our 2 MX beamlines at the NSLS-II, AMX & FMX) and for advanced data processing for multiple to serial
crystals data collection across multiple visits requiring hierarchical cluster analysis to sort these many data sets
into fewer but useful complete data sets enabling either structure solution otherwise impossible or accessing
valuable information about protein dynamics.

Additionally, with colleagues and
collaborators, we are tackling multiple crystals (across multiple visits) data collection and data processing
using dedicated pipelines. Considering that the instrument/computing I'm working on will enable
automated structure solution starting from crystals, will deal with multiple crystals data collection and
my extensive experience in collecting data and solving structure from challenging projects, I believe
that we will achieve, when required, 1000 screened samples per day, a necessary target to enable
structure solution for the most challenging projects and for achieving dynamical states of flexible
proteins.