Crystallography matters ... more!

Many initiatives have been and are being organized to involve schoolchildren at Mudaliarpet, Pondicherry (India) into crystallography on the occasion of IYCr2014.

1. At first, the students were given a brief introduction on various crystals, which made them think about how crystals are formed.

2. Following this, a team of students were selected for a project on Crystal Growth - investigating the size, shape and number of crystals formed, taking various substances such as table salt, sugar, epsom salt, borax, potassium nitrate and alum. 

3. A Radio Talk was given by the teacher and the students on the "International Year of Crystallography".

4. A lecture was given on the topic to the school students, following which a demonstration -cum- exhibition, along with a poster presentation by the teacher is to be arranged for view for the public around the school locale. 

5. A next attempt to telecast the above in the television is made.

6. Students of our school are participating in the IYCr2014 Crystal Growing Competition. 

Eine neue Kluft im Steinbruch Eibenstein lieferte beachtliche Kalzitkristalle, z.T. Phantombildungen und Kalzite in Chalcedon.

Aus Motlas O.Ö. wurden herrliche Quarz-Stufen, Andalusit, Beryll, Schörl und Orthoklas angekauft.

In der Mittelvitrine werden aus der Studiensammlung des Museum besondere Stufen ausgestellt: Einzel-Quarzkristalle und Stufen (auch Amethyst), sowie seltene Mineralien wie Amstallit, bzw. aus dem Fundort Kottaun; ferner Beryll, Chalcedon, Schörl u.a.

Ebenso wurde der größte Feldspatkristall Österreichs aus Wanzenau bei Rosenburg dem Krahuletz-Museum übergeben und ist dort im Rahmen der Mineralien-Dauerausstellung zu sehen.

Each Fall the CCCE (Committee on Computers in Chemical Education) of the American Chemical Society hosts online discussions of recent work of relevance to the use of computers in chemical education. The authors of each paper are available to discuss their work with the community on the days assigned to their papers, and both the papers and discussion are archived on our site. You do not need to be a member of ACS, CHED or the CCCE to participate in these discussion, but need to set up a free account by contacting the site moderator, Bob Belford at rebelford@ualr.edu.

This year, the schedule features a contribution on the International Year of Crystallography 2014 by Brian McMahon and Michele Zema from the IUCr. The full article entitled "IYCr2014: Spreading the Word About Crystallography in an International Year" is available here and will be discussed online on 24-26 November.

Discussion Schedule

Nov. 3-5 OrganicERs a Growing Online Community, Justin Houseknecht and Jennifer Muzyka

Nov. 6-8 Transforming the Chemistry Lab Notebook with ElementsTM, Layne Morsch

Nov. 10-12 ChemEd X: An Interactive Hub for Chemistry Teachers, Deanna Cullen

Nov. 13-15 CheMarkup Slides and Notes: A Presentation Container for the Virtual Molecular Model Kit, Otis Rothenberg & Thomas Newton

Nov. 17-19 From Demonstrations & Clicker Questions to Guided-Inquiry Activities: Resources for Integrating PhET Chemistry Simulations into Your Course, Emily Moore

Nov. 20-22 Organizing Chemical Safety Information to Support Lab Safety, Ralph Stuart

Nov. 24-26 IYCr2014: Spreading the Word About Crystallography in an International Year, Brian McMahon & Michele Zema

Dec. 1-3 The Advantages of Electronic Laboratory Notebook Use in Research Laboratories and Best Practices in Implementation, Jeremy Miller & Earl Beutler

Dec. 4-6 Proteopedia: A Powerful Tool for Biomolecular Communication and a 3D Web Encyclopedia of Biomolecules, Jaime Prilusky & Joel Sussman

Crystals - known to everybody as gems, snow crystals, or salt grains - are widespread in the nature around us. The investigation of their structure and properties means looking inside the intimate of atom geometries - a look contributing to the scientific development of chemistry, solid state physics, Earth sciences, and even, surprisingly, biology and medicine. A century has passed since the crystals first revealed their secrets. In the meantime crystallography has become the pillar of the atomic and molecular sciences, showing us the structure of DNA, allowing the comprehension and the development of computer memories, visualizing the formation of proteins within cells, and yielding ever new materials and drugs.

The exhibition organized at the University of Parma in collaboration with IMEM-CNR wishes to celebrate the theoretical and applied aspects of crystallography. A special section of original artworks related to crystallography is organized in collaboration with the Archive of Modern Art of the University of Parma.

Sections:

• Crystals around us: all the faces of cheese, ham, sugar, icecream and medicines
• Crystals underground and from the space: minerals and meteorites
• Journey inside a crystal: from structure to properties
• Functional crystals
• The crystals in life
• The life of crystals
• Crystals and symmetry, Escher and beyond
• Crystals and modern arts
• A closer look to crystals: instruments and experiments
• Home made crystals: hands on section with experiments for kids

El material hace parte de la exposición «Cristalli», realizada por G. Artioli y L. Secco, Universitá degli Studi di Padova (Italy)

Download the poster 

Click on the image to download the invite in PDF format

The Opening Ceremony will be held at Aula Magna of the University of Piemonte Orientale, Piazza S. Eusebio 5, Vercelli on 5 November 2014, 4.30 pm at the presence of: Cesare Emanuel, Rector of the University of Piemonte Orientale Maura Forte, Mayor of the City of Vercelli Carlo Riva Vercellotti, President of Province of Vercelli Fernando Lombardi, President of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Vercelli Mons. Marco Arnolfo, Archbishop of Vercelli Andrea Corsaro, former Mayor of the City of Vercelli and will feature short speeches by: Marco Milanesio, Researcher at U. Piemonte Orientale, IYCr activities in Piedmont, Italy Michele Zema, Project Manager for IYCr2014, Global activities, achievements and legacy of IYCr2014 Davide Viterbo, U. Piemonte Orientale, We can see the atoms: from Lucretius to Sir W.H. Bragg and Primo Levi

Read the news on the University newsletter "Ateneo tra di noi"

Cette exposition du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de La Rochelle est labellisée « Année internationale de la cristallographie 2014 » sous le haut patronage de Madame Geneviève Fioraso, Secrétaire d'état à l'Enseignement Supérieur et à la Recherche.

La partie centrale de l’exposition est réservée à la vie, au voyage géologique et aux travaux scientifiques de Louis-Benjamin Fleuriau de Bellevue (1761-1852). Il a reçu une formation de physicien naturaliste à Genève, une des académies les plus influentes de l’Europe continentale où ses professeurs participent à l’essor des nouvelles disciplines que sont la géologie et la minéralogie. L’élève Fleuriau devient à son tour un acteur de la cristallographie naissante, de la nouvelle minéralogie qui en découle et de la géologie moderne fondée sur l’observation de terrain. L’exposition propose des objets historiques ayant appartenu à Fleuriau et aux deux pères français de la cristallographie, Romé de L’Isle et Haüy.

Autour de Fleuriau, une approche ludique et didactique du monde minéral permet à tous de découvrir ce qu’est un cristal et un minéral. L’exposition de minéraux et d’instruments de mesures est associée à des jeux, des manipulations, des observations macro et microscopiques. Les visiteurs s’initient à la minéralogie, l’exposition les guide à identifier des formes géométriques simples, des caractéristiques évidentes (couleur, poids, forme évocatrices) afin de caractériser et d’identifier quelques minéraux essentiels.

This exhibition 'Kristallen verhelderd' aims at giving an overview of the history of crystallography (including a selected exhibit of minerals), introduce the work of Laue and the Braggs, present the pionieering work performed at Ghent University and show some recent applications of crystallography in solid state physics. 

The exhibition is aimed at both secondary schools, researchers and the general public. It is organized by the Museum of the History of Sciences at Ghent University, in collaboration with the Department of  Solid State Sciences and the Department of Geology and Soil Sciences.

The opening is scheduled on June 23rd, with the presence of Professor Robert Huber, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. The results of the Photo Contest will be announced.

The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History proudly announces its upcoming exhibition: CRYSTALLOGRAPHY: Where Art & Science Collide, on display from September 18, 2014 –January 17, 2015.

On Thursday, September 18th, at 6 PM, a free public lecture featuring David Gardner, Master Jeweler and Gemologist, was followed by an open reception with refreshments and gallery viewing.

This year marks the centenary of the birth of modern crystallography, a science studying the composition and structure of crystals. Crystallographers provide fundamental knowledge and technology essential for the development of new materials.

Crystallography has become the very core of structural science, revealing the structure of DNA, allowing us to understand and fabricate computer memories, showing us how proteins are created in cells, and helping scientists to design powerful new materials and drugs. It permeates our daily lives and is essential in agro-food, aeronautics, automobiles, cosmetics, and computers, as well as the electro-mechanical, pharmaceutical and mining industries. Because of the beauty and symmetry of crystals, they also figure prominently in architecture, art forms, and jewelry.

This exhibition will offer visitors an overview of the many applications of the science of crystallography. Materials on display will include stunning specimens from the Museum’s extensive mineral collection and will showcase examples of crystals used in art and jewelry.

This exhibit was made possible in part through Hotel Tax Revenue funded from the City of College Station through the Arts Council of Brazos Valley and through David Gardner’s Jewelers. The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History is committed to promoting science, and cultural and natural history with the integration of art in exhibits and educational programs.

The Museum is open to visitors Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am-5 pm. For more information about this adult program, exhibits and other displays, events, programs and activities, please contact the Museum at 979-776-2195, visit us on the web at www.brazosvalleymuseum.org, or follow us on Facebook.

El Museo de Historia Natural "Dr. Carlos A. Torres de la Llosa" de Montevideo, Uruguay ha realizado una exhibición especial de Cristales y Estructuras Cristalinas aprovechando su colección de minerales para celebrar el Año Internacional de la Cristalografía 2014. En la exposición se agregan a los minerales algunas figuras con las estructuras atómicas correspondientes.

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The Natural History Museum "Dr. Carlos A. Torres de la Llosa" of Montevideo, Uruguay has created a special exhibit of Crystals and Crystal structures using its own minerals collection to celebrate the International Year of Crystallography 2014. The exposition contains some figures with the atomic structures of the selected minerals.

The exhibition "Crystals and Men" for the general public and schoolchildren is organized by the association "Au pays de Cernès" and "CAP-Terre", with various collaborations.

Starting with an exhibition of remarkable minerals, the aim is to show the evolution of techniques that allowed to define the crystal structure: from the crystal shape to the atomic arrangement going through the structures detected by modern instruments used in extreme conditions of pressure and temperature or in the fields of biology and artificial materials.

The program includes workshops for schools, an exhibition of minerals, instruments and posters, demonstrations, booths and conferences.

This exhibition presents 29 paintings inspired by crystallographic concepts, selected among the 80 participants of the Art Contest "cristalizARTE. Cuando el arte se encuentra con la ciencia". Artists from all over Argentina were divided into two categories according to their age: adults and teenagers under 18 y.o.

You can also visit our website to see the participating artworks, as well as the Winners of the contest.

Photos of the opening day
 

The topic chosen for these Scientific Days is "Crystallography at the service of humanity: Issues and Challenges for the Future" and the objectives are:

• share the results of scientific research among researchers from all backgrounds and disciplines;
• educate the scientific community and policy-makers about the role of crystallography in the service of humanity.

Four disciplines will be covered:

• Agronomy and natural sciences
• Medicine and pharmacology
• Science and technology
• Energy and environment

The exhibition tours through all of the federal states of Austria. This tour stop takes place at the city of Neumarkt located at the beautiful Wallersee in Salzburg.

After the official opening on the 14th of November, there will be hourly guided tours for school classes and general public through the exhibition during opening times until the 17th of November.

Furthermore, at this occasion, it will also be possible to get the Austrian commemorative postage stamp celebrating IYCr (which is shown at http://www.iycr2014.org/events/postage_stamps/austrian-stamp). It was produced to honour the famous Austrian mineralogist and crystallographer Felix Machatschki. There will be a limited emission of the special envelope with special postmarks adapted to time and place of the event.

To celebrate the UN International Year of Crystallography 2014, the association AMMS-InterESST Strasbourg (Association for Museology and Scientific Mediation - Strasbourg's Alumni network of the European Studies of Society Science, and Technology), with various collaborators, principally the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), have the honor to present the multi-axial project “La Cristallographie et nous - Crystallography in our life”.

The project discusses mainly about human health and proposes to discover the vast field of crystallography. Our goal: to celebrate the crystallography year as charted by the IYCr2014 program but also as a "traditional" science in the Strasbourg University and as a significant contribution to the scientific reputation of the city of Strasbourg and the region of Alsace. Our wish is to make this event a prelude to the International Year of Light in 2015.

The project includes: 

1. A travelling exhibition in Alsace called "La Cristallographie et Nous" (Crystallography in our life) during 2014 and 2015. The exhibition will first move on three of Strasbourg’s University campus: “Central Campus”, "Illkirch Campus", "Medicine Campus" and then will continue to travel in other Alsatian towns. It will start on the 2nd October 2014 at the Le Bel Institute, and will end in May 2015. The project focuses on three features: crystallography in our daily life, crystallography as a central tool for biology, medicine and pharmacology and crystallography and arts.
2. Labs tours in the new “Integrative Biology Center” located in Illkirch during the month of November 2014. Especially for this occasion, there will be a mini-exhibition in the building.
3. Tasting and prevention workshops called "Crystals in our dinner plates" focused on discovering crystals in our daily food will be proposed during the french national science festival, "Fete de la Science2014" on the 17, 18 and 19 October 2014. Elaborated in collaboration with the University Service of Medicine and Health Promotion (SUMPS) and the IGBMC, those workshops will present different crystals in our food and try to answer to these questions: Are they good for our health? What are the purpose of vitamins and minerals in our diet? How the researchers study these vitamins and their effects on our health? 
4. A publication about the project and the exhibition.

Dans le cadre de l’Année Internationale de la Cristallographie 2014 de l’ONU (IYCr2014), l’AMMS - InterESST Strasbourg (Association de Muséologie et Médiation Scientifique - Réseau Alumini du programme European Studies of Society, Science, and Technology de Strasbourg) en collaboration principale avec le Docteur Dino Moras de l’IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire) présentera le projet multiaxial sur la thématique de l’Homme et sa santé qui s’intitule « La cristallographie et nous » pour célébrer la cristallographie ainsi que son lien fort avec l’Université de Strasbourg et sa contribution au rayonnement scientifique de Strasbourg et de l’Alsace durant l’année universitaire 2014-2015 principalement sur le campus Central, le campus d’Illkirch et le campus de Médecine. L’accent sera mis sur le rôle de la cristallographie dans notre quotidien tout en appuyant sur son utilité en biologie, médecine et pharmacologie et en mettant en évidence ses liens vers d’autres domaines tels que l’art, les mathématiques, l’alimentation, ...

Ce projet comportera une exposition itinérante sur toute l’Alsace durant l’année 2014–2015, des visites de laboratoires de recherche du nouveau Centre de Biologie Intégrative à Illkirch et des ateliers de dégustation et de prévention axés sur la découverte pendant la Fête de la Science 2014. 

L’exposition « La cristallographie et nous ». Elle va itinérer dans un premier temps sur les campus strasbourgeois (central, médecine, Illkirch) et ensuite se déplacera dans les agglomérations alsaciennes. Elle commencera à partir du 2 octobre 2014 à l'Institut Le Bel, et prendra fin en mai 2015. Notre volonté est qu’elle soit aussi une introduction à l’Année Internationale de la Lumière en 2015.

The exhibition "Living with crystal" (original title in Slovenian: Živeti s kristali), organized on the occasion of the International Year of Crystallography, will be open from 13 February 2014 to 11 January 2015 at the Slovenian Museum of Natural History, Ljubljana. 

On display: Photographs of minerals, Crystal drawings, Mineral and crystal collections, Jewellery, Fluorescent minerals, Interactive presentation of minerals and rocks on Biedermeier tables, Interactive play "Umek the Mineralogist", Microscopic world of crystals.

Authors: Miha Jeršek, Mirjan Žorž, Breda Činč Juhant, Katarina Fuchs

Objectives

In celebrating the International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014), the workshop organized by the Egyptian National Committee for Crystallography (ENCC) aims to provide a forum for exchange of knowledge in order to get the latest developments in structure determination and characterization of nanomaterials. The main objective is to highlight the powerful capabilities of synchrotron radiation (SR) in nanomaterials research aspects. During this occasion, Nanomaterials fabrication methods will be demonstrated and combined with the advanced SR applications covering different techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Small Angle Scattering (SAXS) and Extended Xray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS). Hands-on computer training on some programs in the field will be also arranged.

The workshop is organised under the auspices of

• Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Sakr, President of Academy of Scientific Research and Technology
• Prof. Dr. Tarek Hussein, Honorary Chairmanship, Former president of Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Vice President of SESAME Council
• Prof. Dr. Karimat El-Sayed, Chairman, President of ENCC and ESCA
• Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Farag, Co-Chairman, Vice-President of ESCA

About 100 traffic cones were arranged in a parking lot similar to the basal plane of a hexagonal crystal. Therefore, each traffic cone represented an atom. Then, 10 artifacts (clues) were randomly placed under the cones. These artifacts are related to some basic materials science knowledge. As an example, the first artifact was three different metal powders, Al, Ni and Zn, that are placed in plastic containers and students were instructed to identify and distinguish the metal powders. After providing the correct answer, students were directed to the second artifact. Students used a 2D coordinate system similar to the crystallographic directions. Coordinate system and crystallographic directions and arrangements were introduced to the students at the beginning of the competition. For example, they were instructed to find the second artifact by going 7 traffic cones along [-11] direction, where first artifact was the origin. If the students could not find the artifact or get lost in the crystal, they would be eliminated from the competition.

Questions and directions got harder and complicated after each clue. Overall, 70 students participated in the competition individually or in groups. Only 1 group of students answered all 10 clues correctly and they are awarded by an Apple Ipad Air. They decided to receive a gift card equal to the price of Ipad and shared the gift card equally. All of the students, however, successfully found their way in the crystal without making any mistakes. At the end of the day, they all knew why atoms in solids arrange themselves in a crystallographic manner, the purpose of the crystal and crystallographic directions and common materials science knowledge.

A minisymposium on “Designer Molecular Crystals: Mechanical and Functional Properties” was held in the Solid State and Structural Unit of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India on 14th November, 2014 as a part of the IYCr celebrations in India, and was chaired by Prof. Gautam R. Desiraju, immediate past president of IUCr.
Considerable progress has been made in recent times in understanding the relationships between crystal structure and mechanical properties of molecular materials. The purpose of the symposium was to discuss recent advances in this sub-field of crystal engineering and to identify future directions for research in this area. Five scientists drawn from various institutions in India and Abu Dhabi and working actively in this area made presentations and more than 40 delegates from different places of India participated. The topics that they covered in this half day minisymposium ranged from structure-property correlations in photosalient, thermosalient, bending, brittle, elastic, mechanochromic, and bio-inspired crystals, as well as the ubiquitous use of the nanoindentation technique to characterize the solids used in these studies.

From left to right: Pance Naumov (NYU, Abu Dhabi), U. Ramamurty (IISc, Bangalore), C. Malla Reddy (IISER, Kolkata), T. Govindaraju (JNCASR, Bangalore), Sunil Varughese (NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram) and Gautam R. Desiraju (IISc, Bangalore).

Programme

P. Naumov, Exotic mechanical properties of materials: A chemist perspective
U. Ramamurty, Nanoindentation for identifying intergrowth polymorphism
C. Malla Reddy, Understanding the mechanical flexibility of organic single crystals on the basis of their structural chemistry
T. Govindaraju, Engineering peptide assemblies for functional and mechanical properties
S. Varughese, Stress-induced long range molecular migration in organic crystals

Click here to download the leaflet

The workshop "Ice: Recent Developments on the Quasi Liquid Layer and the Anti-Freezing Phenomenon" at the Fundamental Electronics Research Institute, Osaka Electro-Communication University is concentrated on the recent experimental and theoretical results on (1) the quasi-liquid layer and (2) the anti-freezing phenomena. New findings on the structure of ice and water near freezing temperature will be reported. The connections between these phenomena and the structure of ice and water will be discussed.