International year of Crystallography
News category: Nanotech
What do diamonds, snowflakes and salt all have in common? Well, they are all examples of crystals. Crystals are special solids made up of atoms or molecules that join together in a pattern that repeats itself over and over to create a certain shape. It is at the heart of one of science’s most valuable tools, X-ray Crystallography.
In July 2012, the United Nations recognised the importance of the science of crystallography by proclaiming that 2014 would be the International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014). What is Crystallography? “Crystallography is the science of condensed matter with emphasis on the atomic or molecular structure and its relation to physical and chemical properties”.The science that examines the arrangement of atoms in solids and this year, thanks to the work of Nobel Prize winners Max von Laue, William Henry Bragg and his son William Lawrence Bragg, we get to celebrate this year.
The IYCr2014, which is jointly organised by the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) and UNESCO, commemorates the centennial of the birth of X-ray diffraction, discovered by von Laue, and also the 400th anniversary of Kepler’s observation in 1611 of the symmetrical form of ice crystals, which began the wider study of the role of symmetry in matter.
The science of crystallography has been around for decades, but it still remains unknown to the general public. The Curiosity rover, which was used to analyse soil samples from Mars, used X-ray crystallography and the results suggested that the Martian soil sample was similar to that of the basaltic soils of Hawaiian volcanoes. This method has also been used to improve computer memories, to design powerful new materials and drugs, and to show how proteins are created in cells.
Crystallography is well established in South Africa and centres at the University of Cape Town and University of the Witwatersrand have been in operation since the 1930s. Today, there are crystallographers active at these two universities as well as at other universities such as Stellenbosch University, University of Witwatersrand, University of Free State, University of Johannesburg and at the University of Pretoria to name but a few.
Some of the main activities that will be taking place globally include: open labs, poster exhibitions highlighting the usefulness and wonders of crystallography, travelling hands-on exhibitions, a launch of an open-access crystallography journal, crystal-growing competitions and many more.
Using crystallography in future to deal with energy, food and water challenges seems promising. For example, crystallography can help in improving water quality by identifying new materials such as nanosponges (tap filters) and nanotablets which can purify water for months at a time. The future of crystallography certainly seems bright!
The African Summit Meeting on Crystallography will take place in Bloemfontein, South Africa, 15-17 October 2014.
Writer: Bongiwe Mbatha
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