China is about to turn on a groundbreaking new machine that will change the way scientists study the world around us. This machine called the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS), is a powerful X-ray light source that will reveal details at an atomic level. It’s like having a super-powered microscope that can see things in a way we’ve never seen before, helping scientists learn more about everything from tiny proteins to complex materials.
By the end of December, the first beams of light will start flowing into special research areas at the HEPS facility near Beijing. Once it’s fully operational, HEPS will be one of only a few “fourth-generation” synchrotrons in the world—machines that use X-rays to look at materials in incredible detail. This is an exciting time for scientists, as it opens up new possibilities for exploring the structure of materials and even biological systems at the tiniest scales.
How Does It Work?
At the heart of HEPS, electrons are sped up to very high speeds and forced to travel in a circular path. As they do, they emit powerful X-rays, which are short-wavelength, laser-like beams of light. These x-rays are then channeled into 14 special beamlines—basically, pathways where scientists can use them to study the materials they’re interested in. This light can help researchers understand how materials behave, how chemical reactions unfold, and how biological structures work on a microscopic level.
Mingda Li, a scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, compares the new synchrotron to a major new telescope. “You can see things that were not observable before,” he says. This new capability means scientists will be able to explore the world in ways they never could, studying everything from viruses to cellular machines like ribosomes—the tiny protein-making factories in our cells.
What Will It Be Used For?
One of the most exciting uses of HEPS will be in structural biology, which is the study of how proteins and other biological molecules are shaped. With HEPS, scientists will be able to take pictures of these molecules in their natural environments, at very high resolutions. This means they can get a much clearer picture of how proteins work, how cells behave, and how viruses function—all things that are crucial for understanding diseases and developing new treatments.
For example, scientists could study how diseases like cancer spread at the molecular level or how drugs interact with specific proteins in our bodies. They could also observe whole cells or viruses in action, tracking how they change over time.
However, there’s a big challenge ahead: managing the huge amounts of data that these experiments will generate. With HEPS, the level of detail is so high that processing all the information could be a complex task, but it’s worth it for the incredible insights scientists will gain.
A Major Investment in Science
The HEPS project has been in the works for years. It was first proposed back in 2008, and after 10 years of construction, China invested about $657 million to bring it to life. Now, the facility is almost ready to begin experiments, but there’s still one final step to go: a review and approval process from China’s National Development and Reform Commission. After that, HEPS will open its doors to scientists, and experiments will begin by early 2025.
Just like at similar facilities in the U.S., competition for time on the beamlines at HEPS is expected to be fierce. At the U.S. Department of Energy’s synchrotron, only about one in five research proposals are accepted. So, researchers will be eager to secure time with this powerful tool to advance their own work.
The Future of Synchrotron Light
HEPS is a major leap forward in synchrotron technology, and it’s the first of its kind in Asia. But it’s not the only new facility of its kind. In Japan, the SPring-8 synchrotron is also being upgraded to make it even more powerful. By 2029, it’s expected to become the world’s most powerful synchrotron, producing X-rays that are over 100 times brighter than before.
Still, HEPS won’t be standing still. The team behind the project plans to add even more beamlines—30 to 32 new ones—over the next five years. This will make the facility even more capable and help scientists tackle even more complex questions.
In short, the HEPS facility is about to open up a whole new world of scientific discovery. From studying the tiniest proteins to imaging entire cells, this powerful x-ray light source will help scientists make major breakthroughs that could change everything from medicine to materials science.
