The science of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) critically depends on the performance of the X-ray laser and on the quality of the samples placed into the X-ray beam. The stability of biological samples is limited and key biomolecular transformations occur on short timescales. Experiments in biology require a support laboratory in the immediate vicinity of the beamlines. The XBI BioLab of the European XFEL (XBI denotes XFEL Biology Infrastructure) is an integrated user facility connected to the beamlines for supporting a wide range of biological experiments. The laboratory was financed and built by a collaboration between the European XFEL and the XBI User Consortium, whose members come from Finland, Germany, the Slovak Republic, Sweden and the USA, with observers from Denmark and the Russian Federation. Arranged around a central wet laboratory, the XBI BioLab provides facilities for sample preparation and scoring, laboratories for growing prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, a Bio Safety Level 2 laboratory, sample purification and characterization facilities, a crystallization laboratory, an anaerobic laboratory, an aerosol laboratory, a vacuum laboratory for injector tests, and laboratories for optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy. Here, an overview of the XBI facility is given and some of the results of the first user experiments are highlighted.

中文翻译：

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欧洲 XFEL 生命科学实验 XBI BioLab

X 射线自由电子激光器 (XFEL) 的科学性很大程度上取决于 X 射线激光器的性能以及放入 X 射线束中的样品的质量。生物样品的稳定性是有限的，并且关键的生物分子转化发生在短时间内。生物学实验需要紧邻光束线的支持实验室。欧洲XFEL的XBI BioLab（XBI表示XFEL生物基础设施）是一个连接到光束线的集成用户设施，用于支持广泛的生物实验。该实验室由欧洲 XFEL 和 XBI 用户联盟合作资助和建立，其成员来自芬兰、德国、斯洛伐克共和国、瑞典和美国，观察员来自丹麦和俄罗斯联邦。XBI BioLab 围绕中央湿实验室布置，提供样品制备和评分设施、原核和真核细胞生长实验室、生物安全 2 级实验室、样品纯化和表征设施、结晶实验室、厌氧实验室、气溶胶实验室，用于喷射器测试的真空实验室，以及光学显微镜、原子力显微镜和电子显微镜实验室。这里给出了 XBI 设施的概述，并重点介绍了第一个用户实验的一些结果。