Beam-splitting approach reveals hidden changes in vitamin B12

Researchers at European XFEL have developed a way to study liquid samples that are too dilute for many existing X-ray experiments. The method is highly sensitive, and in the first experiment a group of international scientists uncovered new details about how vitamin B12 in water changes after absorbing light. The results, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, open the possibility to investigate a much wider range of chemical and biological systems than before.