International Year of Crystallography

International Year of Crystallography
Name	International Year of Crystallography
Year	2014
Proclaimed by	United Nations General Assembly
Theme	"Crystallography for Global Health, Innovation and Sustainable Development"
Coordinator	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; International Union of Crystallography
Notable	X-ray crystallography, neutron diffraction, electron microscopy

International Year of Crystallography The International Year of Crystallography was a worldwide commemorative year designated in 2014 to mark the centenary of the discovery of X-ray diffraction by Max von Laue and the birth of modern crystallography; it mobilized scientific institutions, cultural organizations, and policy bodies to highlight advances stemming from crystalline studies. Major partners included United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Union of Crystallography, and national academies such as the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences (United States), creating an extensive program of conferences, exhibitions, and outreach.

Background and Proclamation

The proclamation originated with petitions from the International Union of Crystallography and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, following advocacy by bodies like UNESCO and endorsements from the International Council for Science and the European Crystallographic Association. The centenary celebrated the 1912 experiment of Max von Laue and subsequent structural determinations by William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg, whose work connected laboratories such as Cavendish Laboratory and institutions like Royal Institution. National science ministries and academies including the French Academy of Sciences, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science endorsed local proclamations and funding.

Objectives and Themes

Core objectives aligned stakeholders including World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, and the International Telecommunication Union around themes of scientific capacity, innovation, and sustainable development. The thematic strands highlighted contributions of techniques such as X-ray crystallography, neutron diffraction, and electron microscopy to domains linked with organizations like European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Max Planck Society, Riken, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory. Education and outreach efforts engaged museums and cultural partners like the Smithsonian Institution, Museo Galileo, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Science Museum, London.

Global Events and Activities

The year featured major conferences hosted by entities such as International Union of Crystallography congresses, regional meetings by the Asian Crystallographic Association, Americas Crystallographic Association, and European Crystallographic Association, and symposia at facilities including European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Diamond Light Source, Swiss Light Source, and Advanced Photon Source. Public outreach included exhibitions at venues like Science Museum, London and lectures at universities such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Tokyo, University of Melbourne, and University of Cape Town. Training schools were delivered in partnership with CERN, European Molecular Biology Organization, Wellcome Trust, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and regional academies including Academia Sinica and Indian National Science Academy.

Key Scientific and Cultural Contributions

Scientific highlights promoted during the year included high-resolution structures from consortia like Protein Data Bank depositors, breakthroughs in macromolecular crystallography at laboratories such as European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and advances in methods pioneered by scientists affiliated with Rosalind Franklin, Dorothy Hodgkin, Ada Yonath, John Kendrew, Max Perutz, and Linus Pauling. Cultural programming connected historical archives from institutions like Royal Institution, Wellcome Collection, Science History Institute, and National Science Centre (Poland), emphasizing the roles of facilities such as Brookhaven National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Interdisciplinary collaborations involved partners like Pfizer, Novartis, Merck (United States), GlaxoSmithKline, and academic spin-offs from University of California, San Francisco and Harvard University.

Organizing Bodies and Partnerships

The year was coordinated by UNESCO in partnership with International Union of Crystallography and numerous national and regional societies including the American Crystallographic Association, British Crystallographic Association, Crystallographic Society of Japan, German Crystallographic Society, Chinese Crystallographic Association, and Australian Society for Biophysics. Major research infrastructures partnered included European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Diamond Light Source, Advanced Photon Source, SPring-8, and SOLEIL. Funders and supporting organizations included European Research Council, National Science Foundation (United States), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Wellcome Trust, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and national ministries across Brazil, India, South Africa, France, Germany, and Canada.

Legacy and Impact on Crystallography

The International Year of Crystallography catalyzed lasting investments in infrastructure and training at centers such as Diamond Light Source, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and national synchrotron projects in Brazil and India, and advanced open-data initiatives exemplified by Protein Data Bank and policy dialogues within UNESCO and the United Nations General Assembly. It strengthened networks linking practitioners at universities including University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Tokyo, and research organizations like Max Planck Society, Riken, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and inspired curricula changes in professional programs at institutions such as Imperial College London and ETH Zurich. The year left a measurable footprint on areas from drug discovery at firms like Pfizer and Novartis to materials design at institutes like Fraunhofer Society and National Institute for Materials Science.

Category:Crystallography Category:2014