April 21, 2026
Room to move: how proteins behave in crowded environments
Neutron scattering shows how local density shapes motion within self-assembled protein structures
Germany
National representative at the ILL
Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
Representatives on the ILL Steering Committee:
Laurens KUIPERS | FZJ
Dirk STEINBACH | BMFTR
Associate country since 1967
Industrial Liaison Officer
Beamtime allocation to German scientists at the ILL
Disciplines distribution in German beamtime requests
Publications
News corner
Feb. 26, 2026
How neutron science helps make blood tests more reliable
Blood-based biomarkers are widely used to diagnose and monitor diseases through simple blood tests. However, in some cases they can be partially “hidden” and harder to detect accurately. Researchers investigated, with molecular accuracy, how biomarkers interact with lipid membranes using neutron reflectometry at the ILL.
Dec. 19, 2025
When antibodies attack: deciphering molecular mysteries of the immune system
A newly published study looks into the molecular motions of therapeutic antibodies and their ability to interact with their target molecules. The results provide crucial information for optimising design and formulations in future developments.
Sept. 29, 2025
Welcome to Paul, the first NEXTSTEP PhD student
Paul's PhD project aims to develop a unique structural model that will ultimately help to improve the stability, medical efficiency, and range of applications of lipid nanoparticle-based drug formulations.
Sept. 22, 2025
Seeing red: investigating blood components via neutron scattering
High-quality neutron and X-ray data acquired using red blood cells allowed researchers to establish a universal theoretical description of cell membranes.
Sept. 8, 2025
Hands on the neutrons at ILL: 2025 JCNS Laboratory Course on Neutron Scattering
After a week in Jülich, the school moved to the ILL for a week of hands-on training. The participants had access to 24 world-class instruments out of ILL’s suite of over 40. The course took place during the second ILL reactor cycle of 2025.