IYCr 2014 Opening Ceremony

UNESCO, Paris, France

20 - 21 January 2014

More than 800 people attended the opening ceremony which launched the International Year of Crystallography at UNESCO on 20 and 21 January 2014. Government representatives, scientists and journalists featured among the participants. The Year is being coordinated jointly by UNESCO and the International Union of Crystallography.

Question and answer session.

Young Crystallographers Session

Question and answer session.

Young Crystallographers Session

Participants in the 'Young crystallographers' panel. Front row: Adriana Serquis, Ji-Joon Song, Marcin Nowotny, Yvon Bibila, Anders Madsen, Mohamed Eddaoudi, Rumana Akther Jahan. Back row (from left): Malla Reddy, Rahul Banerjee, Philip Ball.

Young Crystallographers Session

Lunch break

Introductory remarks by Jules Tenon.

Nobel Laureate Lecture

Brian Kobilka, 2012 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, speaking about 'Structural insights into G-protein-coupled receptor signalling'.

Nobel Laureate Lecture

Brian Kobilka.

Nobel Laureate Lecture

Summary remarks by Judith Howard.

Nobel Laureate Lecture

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Vinay Sheel Oberoi, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Thirumalachari Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Glaucius Oliva, President, Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Glaucius Oliva.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Thomas Auf der Hyde, Deputy Director-General, South African national Department of Science and Technology.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Catherine Esterhuysen, President, South African Crystallographic Society.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Catherine Esterhuysen.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Mikhail Kovalchuk, Director of the Kurchatov Institute and Chair of the National Russian Crystallography Committee.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Mikhail Kovalchuk.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Mikhail Kovalchuk.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Gao Song, President, Chinese Crystallographic Association.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

Gao Song.

Crystallography in Emerging Nations Session

John Spence: 'From X-ray tube to X-ray lasers'

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Juliette Pradon: 'Crystallographic research in the developing world'.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Juliette Pradon.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Martijn Fransen: 'Crystallography in our daily lives'.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Martijn Fransen.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

David Bish: 'Crystallography in the study of the Universe'.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

David Bish: the first X-ray diffraction pattern measured on another planet.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

David Bish.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

David Blake: 'Crystals in Space'.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

David Blake.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Frank Burgäzy: 'A short history of crystallographic technology'.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Frank Burgäzy.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Diego Lamas.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Philippe Walter: 'Crystallography in the study of art and historical artefacts'.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Philippe Walter.

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Crystallography for Society and the Future

Abdelmalek Thalal on 'Symmetry in art and architecture of the western Islamic Golden Age'.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Abdelmalek Thalal.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Abdelmalek Thalal.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Abdelmalek Thalal.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Emil Mackovicky on 'Highlights of eastern Islamic ornamental arts as seen through crystallographers' eyes'.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Emil Mackovicky.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Peter Lu on 'Modern math in medieval Islamic architecture'.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Peter Lu.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Peter Lu.

Crystallography, Symmetry and Art

Samar Hasnain; ' IUCrJ and crystallography working across nations'.

Crystallography and Peace

Chris Llewellyn Smith: 'SESAME: fostering science, building bridges'.

Crystallography and Peace

Maciej Nalecz.

Closing Remarks

The structure of molecules of biological importance can be worked out with synchrotron radiation, using devices like the one that was used at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility by Nobel Prizewinner Brian Kobilka.

Exhibition

The demonstration of laser light diffracted by the fine mesh of a sieve demonstrates how X-rays diffract off the much smaller layers of atoms in a crystal.

Exhibition

Mankind's fascination with crystals was stimulated by the discovery of naturally occuring clusters of rock crystal (quartz).

Exhibition

The mystery of why diamonds sparkle, why they are so hard and yet can burn like coal was solved ultimately by the understanding of its structure that crystallography provided. This display shows models of the structures of diamond, graphite, fullerenes, nanotubes and graphene - all forms of pure carbon.

Exhibition

There are many applications of crystallography and the understanding of crystal structure in our daily lives, that help us to understand the world in all its diversity. This model shows the structure of Maya Blue, a unique azure blue pigment from pre-Columbian America.

Exhibition

This interactive model demonstrates how to tile a plane surface with local fivefold symmetry. Similar local symmetry in three dimensions is found in quasicrystals, materials that exhibit fivefold or tenfold symmetries in their structure that were once believed to be impossible.

Exhibition