Four new Themes to start at LINXS in January 2026!

LINXS is delighted to announce that four new Themes will start at LINXS as of 1st January 2026. These offers are being made in response to last year’s National and International Theme Call. The themes will significantly extend LINXS’ mission as an advanced studies institute and deepen the exploitation of neutron and X-ray science at MAX IV, ESS and related facilities worldwide.

– These new Themes are a great addition to LINXS’ portfolio. This is a substantial expansion of LINXS operations and represents an increased commitment to LINXS following the external evaluation in 2024. The new Themes will be able to drive unique research in areas in soft matter, semiconductors, virology, and applied life sciences, says LINXS Director, Professor Trevor Forsyth.

The new LINXS themes are:

X-ray and neutron-based characterization of advanced semiconductors (Semiconductors)

Led by: Rainer Timm, Professor, Department of Physics, Lund University.

Advanced semiconductor technology is crucial to our most urgent environmental and societal challenges. Major efforts are ongoing for the development of improved materials and novel semiconductor device concepts. X-ray- and neutron-based characterisation methods offer key possibilities for the characterisation of semiconductor materials and an in-depth understanding of the physical and chemical effects involved in semiconductor technology.

This Theme aims to strengthen interaction and collaboration between experts in synchrotron-based material characterisation and semiconductor device development, both from academia and industry, in Sweden and Europe. The aim is to contribute to novel semiconductor functionality by exploring fundamental material aspects, to initialise novel synchrotron-based research on semiconductors, and to educate next generation researchers from academia and industry in combining semiconductor device development and advanced characterisation including X-rays and neutrons.

The Theme will have four working groups connect to it: WG 1: Advanced Transistor Technology; WG 2: Power Electronics; WG 3: Neuromorphic Materials for Deep Learning and AI; and WG 4: Optoelectronics and Photovoltaics.

Soft Matter in Life: Biological self-assembly across time and length scales (SMILE)

Led by: Hanna Wacklin-Knecht, Associate Professor in Physical Chemistry, Lund University and ESS.

The mission of SMILE is to advance scattering methods as central techniques to understand self assembly and the role of interfaces in soft biological and bio-inspired systems. This will involve the transfer of fundamental concepts and expertise from the soft matter community to life science research at central facilities. To optimise the potential for new high-impact research, SMILE takes the approach of inspecting the relationship between structure and dynamics evolution across length and timescales, with a focus on identifying commonalities among self-assembly mechanisms in different biomolecular systems. The Theme’s goal is to push the frontiers in fundamental and applied life science by developing a concerted and international effort anchored at LINXS for using neutrons and X-rays in explaining biological function and developing biotechnological applications based on self-assembly in food, pharmaceuticals and biobased materials.

The theme will organise its work in two working groups: WG 1: Higher complexity in lipid self-assembly, and WG2: Pathways of multi-scale structure formation in macromolecular systems.

Pandemics and Alertness (PandA)

Led by Dr. Wolfgang Knecht, Senior Lecturer at Lund University, Head of Lund Protein Production Platform (LP3), Node Director - Protein Production Sweden (PPS), SciLifeLab group leader.

The aim of the Theme is to facilitate cooperation between virologists and other scientists active in the field of virology, who have a key interests in understanding and combatting large virus outbreaks and pandemics. The Theme will assemble technical awareness and competence among virologists towards improving the use of state-of-the-art technologies for pandemic preparedness. Amongst other goals, the Theme aims to prepare a “handbook” of options on how to integrate these technologies in improving pandemic response.

The theme will have three working groups: WG1: Understanding the virus; WG2: Fighting the virus; and WG3: Complementary and enabling techniques, and a guest researcher programme.

Scattering and lmaging for Health lnsights and New Evidence (SHINE)

Led by: Professor Karin Lindkvist, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University.

The aim of the Theme is to increase knowledge in the analyses of clinical samples by electron microscopy in combination with X-ray analysis. Comprehensive understanding of human health and disease requires structural insight at all scales - from atomic to tissue-spanning well beyond the classical definition of structural biology. This Theme aims to bridge the scientific gaps between molecular research and translational applications, addressing the most fundamental questions of life, health, and disease. The clinical conditions that the Theme will specifically focus on are related to metabolic diseases, neurodegeneration, airway disease and transmittable diseases caused by viral and bacterial infections.

The theme has four working groups: WG1: Metabolic diseases; WG2: Airway diseases; WG3: Transmittable diseases; and WG4: Neurodegenerative diseases.