Because both RNA and DNA carry large negative charges, interaction with oppositely charged partners is required for function. Despite the important roles of these partners, little is known about how they structure, or interact with nucleic acids. I describe the development and application of new x-ray scattering based methods that highlight the role of partners, ranging from ions through proteins, in important biological or therapeutic processes. The first example probes the contribution of ions in packaging RNAs for potential therapeutic applications. A second example focuses on how proteins structure nucleic acids in large complexes. Here, we introduce a new method to follow the changing structures of nucleic acids within protein nucleic acid complexes.