A summary is given of the achievements and opportunities which resulted from the first use of an X-ray laser for serial crystallography and related methods in 2009.

Using the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules to infer how they function is one of the most important fields of modern biology. The availability of atomic resolution structures provides a deep and unique understanding of protein function, and helps to unravel the inner workings of the living cell. To date, 86% of the Protein Data Bank (rcsb-PDB) entries are macromolecular s...

9.03.