New developments in the program packageATSAS(version 2.4) for the processing and analysis of isotropic small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering data are described. They include (i) multiplatform data manipulation and display tools, (ii) programs for automated data processing and calculation of overall parameters, (iii) improved usage of high- and low-resolution models from other structural methods, (iv) new algorithms to build three-dimensional models from weakly interacting oligomeric systems and complexes, and (v) enhanced tools to analyse data from mixtures and flexible systems. The newATSASrelease includes installers for current major platforms (Windows, Linux and Mac OSX) and provides improved indexed user documentation. The web-related developments, including a user discussion forum and a widened online access to runATSASprograms, are also presented.

ATSASis a comprehensive software suite for the analysis of small-angle scattering data from dilute solutions of biological macromolecules or nanoparticles. It contains applications for primary data processing and assessment,ab initiobead modelling, and model validation, as well as methods for the analysis of flexibility and mixtures. In addition, approaches are supported that utilize information from X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy or atomistic homology modelling to construct hybrid models based on the scattering data. This article summarizes the progress made during the 2.5–2.8ATSASrelease series and highlights the latest developments. These includeAMBIMETER, an assessment of the reconstruction ambiguity of experimental data;DATCLASS, a multiclass shape classification based on experimental data;SASRES, for estimating the resolution ofab initiomodel reconstructions;CHROMIXS, a convenient interface to analyse in-line size exclusion chromatography data;SHANUM, to evaluate the useful angular range in measured data;SREFLEX, to refine available high-resolution models using normal mode analysis;SUPALMfor a rapid superposition of low- and high-resolution models; andSASPy, theATSASplugin for interactive modelling inPyMOL. All these features and other improvements are included in theATSASrelease 2.8, freely available for academic users from https://www.embl-hamburg.de/biosaxs/software.html.

The ATSAS software suite encompasses a number of programs for the processing, visualization, analysis and modelling of small-angle scattering data, with a focus on the data measured from biological macromolecules. Here, new developments in the ATSAS 3.0 package are described. They include IMSIM, for simulating isotropic 2D scattering patterns; IMOP, to perform operations on 2D images and masks; DATRESAMPLE, a method for variance estimation of structural invariants through parametric resampling; DATFT, which computes the pair distance distribution function by a direct Fourier transform of the scattering data; PDDFFIT, to compute the scattering data from a pair distance distribution function, allowing comparison with the experimental data; a new module in DATMW for Bayesian consensus-based concentration-independent molecular weight estimation; DATMIF, an ab initio shape analysis method that optimizes the search model directly against the scattering data; DAMEMB, an application to set up the initial search volume for multiphase modelling of membrane proteins; ELLLIP, to perform quasi-atomistic modelling of liposomes with elliptical shapes; NMATOR, which models conformational changes in nucleic acid structures through normal mode analysis in torsion angle space; DAMMIX, which reconstructs the shape of an unknown intermediate in an evolving system; and LIPMIX and BILMIX, for modelling multilamellar and asymmetric lipid vesicles, respectively. In addition, technical updates were deployed to facilitate maintainability of the package, which include porting the PRIMUS graphical interface to Qt5, updating SASpy – a PyMOL plugin to run a subset of ATSAS tools – to be both Python 2 and 3 compatible, and adding utilities to facilitate mmCIF compatibility in future ATSAS releases. All these features are implemented in ATSAS 3.0, freely available for academic users at https://www.embl-hamburg.de/biosaxs/software.html.