INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CRYSTALLOGRAPHY BEGINS

This year 2014 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Crystallography. During the year, different activities will be organized to explain what crystallography is and which applications this science has on people's everyday life. The ALBA Synchrotron uses crystallography and X-ray diffraction in three beamlines.

Next 20th January, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the opening ceremony of the International Year of Crystallography will be held. Crystallography is the science in charge of studying the arrangement of atoms and molecules in space. During 2014, many conferences, seminars and expositions will be organized to highlight this scientific area.

Three of the operative beamlines at the ALBA Synchrotron uses X-ray diffraction. XALOC, specialized in macromolecular crystallography, can solve protein structures at atomic level. MSPD (Materials Science and Powder Diffraction) performs diffraction experiments with high resolution and high pressure. SAXS (Small Angle X-ray Scattering) at NCD (Non-Crystalline Diffraction) beamline offer structural information of large molecular assemblies like polymers or fibers, among others.

More information at the official website of the International Year of Crystallography: http://www.iycr2014.org