Coherent X-Ray Imaging Instrument Science (VIDEO) DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory This video is under embargo. Please login to access this video. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Caption The ultimate goal of the CXI instrument is to perform imaging of single biological molecules as depicted in a simplistic manner in this movie. The single LCLS pulses travel to the CXI location in the Far Experimental Hall, where a simplified CXI instrument is shown, with a sample injector delivering single biomolecules to the LCLS beam. As we zoom in, we can see the molecules being hit by the LCLS beam, which destroys them, but not before the scattered X-rays are on their way to the detector, allowing a diffraction pattern from an undamaged molecule to be recorded. The individual diffraction patterns are recorded and stacked into the computer memory. Each image, coming from a different random orientation is then classified into bins corresponding to the orientation of the molecule. The different classes of orientations are averaged together and then the full 3D pattern is assembled. Once the 3D pattern is known, phase retrieval techniques allow the 3D atomic structure of the biomolecules to be deduced from the diffracted intensities alone. Credit SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Usage Restrictions Please credit: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.