Evolution of experimental applications of synchrotron radiation: A quantitative description

Recently, I was asked to introduce a session on spectroscopy at the Biophysics and Synchrotron Radiation 98 meeting. I wanted to recognize the “hot new areas” in synchrotron-based spectroscopy, and the rapidly expanding research in the infrared came immediately to mind. As it happens, however, I am acquainted with several of the scientists responsible for the development of infrared research using synchrotron radiation sources, and thus knew that while “hot” is certainly appropriate, “new” is not quite correct. Other speakers at the same conference emphasized the recent, rapid growth in determinations of macromolecu-lar structures by X-ray crystallography using synchrotron radiation, but from personal contacts with leaders in this field I knew that this was also a long and arduous process. These observations led me to consider the evolution of new research areas within the synchrotron radiation community.