Set-up and experimental parameters of the protein crystallography beamline at the Brazilian National Synchrotron Laboratory.

The Brazilian National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) has a dedicated protein crystallography beamline. The optical elements of the beamline include an elastically bent cylindrical mirror and a triangular bent-crystal monochromator, which focus synchrotron radiation at the position of the sample in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively. The monochromatic radiation is tunable between 2.0 and 1.2 A with the optimum wavelengths from 1.3 to 1.6 A, chosen to maximize the photon flux from the bending magnets of the storage ring (1.37 GeV). Diffraction images are recorded on a 345 mm-diameter MarResearch image-plate detector system with on-line readout. The experimental parameters of the beamline, such as the integral monochromatic flux and focus size, have been measured. The size of the beam at the position of the focal point is 0.5 x 0.5 mm(2). The flux density is between 4.4 x 10(10) and 8 x 10(10) photons s(-1) mm(-2) for wavelengths from 1.28 to 1.6 A. The energy resolution is sufficient to measure absorption edges of elements between 1.28 and 2 A. The facility, intended to serve the national and international community, has been commissioned and is available for users.