The CoSAXS beamline at MAX IV laboratory is offering a 8-week summer student project focused in implementing SAXS analysis scripts in the SasView software

Background and Motivation
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a well-established technique for studying the structure of biological macromolecules in solution. In complex biological systems, multiple structural states may exist simultaneously. As a result, the measured scattering profiles often represent mixtures of several components, making it challenging and sometimes ambiguous to separate and interpret the individual contributions.

To address this challenge, the SAXS community has previously applied the chemometric method multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). This approach enables robust decomposition of synchrotron SAXS data by combining information from multiple spectroscopic techniques, such as UV–vis spectroscopy and fluorescence measurements.

SASView (sasview.org) is an open-source software platform for the analysis of small-angle scattering data and is widely used by the scattering community.

Project Goal
The MCR-ALS implementation currently exists in MATLAB. The goal of this project is to implement MCR-ALS tools within SASView, adapting the functionality specifically for scattering data. The project will also focus on integrating these tools with existing SASView libraries and workflows, making the method more accessible and easier to use within the broader small-angle scattering analysis environment.

Main tasks

• Study the existing Matlab code and understand the underlying MCR-ALS workflow
• Translate and implement the method in Python in a way that is compatible with SasView
• Investigate how the new functionality can be integrated into the SasView analysis workflow and user interface
• Test and validate the implementation against reference results from the Matlab version
• Document the implementation and provide example use cases
• Present progress and results to the team at the end of the project.

Expected outcomes: By the end of the project, the student is expected to deliver:

• A working prototype of MCR-ALS analysis in Python for SasView
• Initial validation against reference Matlab results
• Clear documentation of the method, implementation choices, and limitations
• Recommendations for further development and integration into SasView.

Required qualifications

• Ongoing university studies in physics, applied mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related field
• Programming experience in Python
• Good understanding of numerical methods and scientific data analysis
• Ability to read and understand existing scientific code, including Matlab
• Ability to work independently while communicating progress clearly with supervisors.

Preferred qualifications

• Familiarity with Python modules such as NumPy, Matplotlib and PyQT
• Experience with Matlab
• Knowledge of linear algebra, optimization, or multivariate analysis methods
• Interest in data analysis methods used in physics, chemistry, or materials science
• Familiarity with version control, especially Git/GitHub
• Exposure to small-angle scattering or related experimental data analysis is an advantage, but not required.

What you will gain through the project:

• Hands-on experience in scientific software development in an active research environment
• Experience contributing to an open-source project used by the scattering community
• Exposure to advanced data analysis methods and practical algorithm implementation
• Opportunity to work closely with scientists and software developers at MAX IV.

This is a temporary position, full-time for 8 weeks in June-August 2026.