At Pittcon 2007, Bruker AXS introduced its Microstar Ultra, an ultra-bright X-ray source for structural biology said to be the most intense home laboratory X-ray source available
Comparable in brightness to many second-generation synchrotron beamlines, the Microstar Ultra is the most intense home laboratory X-ray source available.
Utilising advanced electron optics and the revolutionary new Hypercool anode cooling design (patent pending), the Microstar Ultra produces X-ray unrivalled intensities of 8x10^10 X-rays/mm2/sec, far higher than any conventional rotating anode generator.
This substantial increase in performance is beneficial for all aspects of in-house crystallographic research, from high-throughput crystal screening to structural determination.
It also makes the Microstar Ultra ideal for analysing even the smallest crystals.
Despite its performance, the Microstar Ultra is a remarkably compact and low-maintenance X-ray source, which features long operating times and low maintenance costs.
There is an affordable upgrade path for existing Microstar generators to the Microstar Ultra.
Initial Microstar Ultra generators have been installed in Bruker demonstration laboratories and at pharmaceutical customers and are performing exceedingly well in the field, says the company.


