INTERNATIONAL UNION OF Crystallography NEWSLETTER www.iucr.org Volume 15, Number 1 ♦ 2007 Bruker AXS MICROSTAR ULTRA The World’s Most Powerful Home Source With its revolutionary Hypercool anode technology*, innovative electron optics and best in class HELIOS X-ray optics, the MICROSTAR ULTRA delivers intensities greater than many synchrotron beamlines. From screening the smallest crystals to the most demanding SAD experiments, the MICROSTAR ULTRA delivers the ultimate in performance, at a cost that you can afford. Twice the intensity of the most powerful competing rotating anodes Simple to maintain, low cost of ownership Highest stability for best data quality *patent pending Contact us for more details and system demonstration! www.bruker-axs.com Crystallography think forward LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TABLE OF CONTENTS At the meeting of the Executive Committee held last Au- LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT ..................1 gust, a new initiative was launched to encourage developing REGIONAL AFFILIATE NEWS ....................2 countries to be members of the IUCr, as described in a previ- AWARDS ..........................................2 ous issue (Vol. 14, No. 2). According to the initiative, the IUCr IUCR JOURNALS .................................6 strongly recommends crystallographers in developing countries to form a country group and to establish a single Adhering CRYSTALLOGRAPHY IN POLAND ................9 Body to become a member of the IUCr. I am very glad to hear CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC MEETING REPORTS ....21 from the Presidents of the three Regional Associates, Professor MILESTONES ...................................24 Yuji Ohashi Bau (ACA), Professor Vijayan (AsCA), and Professor Helliwell BOOK REVIEWS ................................27 (ECA), that discussions to form such groups are progressing in NEWS, NOTICES, AWARDS ...................28 their Associations. I hope a variety of countries will become members of the IUCr FUTURE MEETINGS ............................29 at the next General Assembly to be held in Osaka. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC MEETINGS CALENDAR .32 The IUCr has supported international schools and seminars on crystallography INDEX TO ADVERTISERS ......................32 held in many countries and has provided funds to enable young scientists to attend. A total of USD 125,000 was awarded to 23 schools and seminars last year. This Editors scheme is much appreciated not only by the organizers of the schools and seminars Judith L. Flippen-Anderson but also by the young scientists, especially from the developing countries. However, [email protected] there is an important condition to this support, that is, the meetings must be “in- ternational”. William L. Duax In 1991 the Executive Committee recognized that there were many worthwhile [email protected] schools in developing countries and countries of the former Eastern bloc that were not international but would nevertheless benefi t greatly from IUCr support. The IUCr Newsletter Design & Production therefore established the Visiting Professor Scheme to support such schools or semi- Patricia Coley nars. According to this Scheme, up to three eminent scientists present a short course at a school or seminar and their travel and insurance costs are met by the IUCr. The Assistant Editor Jane Griffin local organizers cover the accommodation/subsistence expenses. The IUCr has provided an annual budget of USD 25,000 for the Scheme. In the past ten years the IUCr has supported Visiting Professorships in Brazil, Cuba, China, Send Contributions to: P. Coley, c/o Hauptman-Woodward Med. Research Inst. India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and Morocco, and these have been very much ap- 700 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY 14203, USA preciated by the hosts. However, the Scheme is not well known by crystallographers Tel.: 716 898-8691•FAX: 716 898-8695 in many developing countries, compared with the young scientist support. As a mat- e-mail: [email protected] ter of fact, the budget has not been fully utilized. http://iucr.hwi.buffalo.edu I think it very important that the crystallographic schools and seminars should Matters pertaining to Advertisements be held in developing countries to enable crystallographers in these countries to be- should be addressed to P. Coley at the come organised. The IUCr will strongly support such schools or seminars using the above address. above Visiting Professorship Scheme. Those interested in applying for the Visiting Professorship Scheme should contact the Executive Secretary ([email protected]) for On the Cover: Images taken from further information. the article “Crystallography in Poland”. Yuji Ohashi, [email protected] Graphics designed by M. Gilski Contributors to this issue: M. Arménia Carrondo, H.-B. Bürgi, G. Chapuis, R.M. Esnouf, S. Garcia-Granda, H.S. Gupta, J.R. Helliwell, IUCr Executive Secretary A.P. Hitchcock, C. Jelsch, D.W. Jones, M. Karolus, Z. Kosturkiewicz, Michael Dacombe ([email protected]) T. Linden, A.L. Mackay, S. Mammi, A. McPherson, P.H.J. Mercie, I. Novak, International Union of Crystallography K. Ravikumar, T.R. Schneider, A. Sharpe, V.Y. Shevchenko, P. Spadon, 2 Abbey Square, Chester, CH1 2HU, England A. Wlodawer, G. Zanotti. The International Union of Crystallography The International Union of Crystallography Newsletter is distributed to 587 libraries and Newsletter (ISSN 1067-0696; coden IUC-NEB) 17,000 crystallographers and other interested individuals in 39 countries. The IUCr also runs Volume 15, Number 1. Published quarterly (4x) by Crystallography Online, available at www.iucr.org, as a complement to the IUCr print newsletter. Feature articles, meeting announcements and reports, information on research or other items of the International Union of Crystallography. Members potential interest to crystallographers should be submitted to the editor at any time. Submission receive the IUCr Newsletter by virtue of country of text by electronic mail and graphics, slides or photographs by express mail is requested. Items membership in the IUCr. Periodical postage rates will be selected for publication on the basis of suitability, content, style, timeliness and appeal. paid at Buffalo, NY and additional mailing offices. The editor reserves the right to edit. Cost of distribution in Algeria, Australia, Colombia, Croatia, POSTMASTER: Please send changes of address Cuba, Czech Republic, France, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South to IUCr Newsletter Editorial Office, c/o Hauptman- Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands, Thailand, and Venezuela is borne by crystallo- graphic associations or institutions or by individual crystallographers in these countries. Address Woodward Medical Research Inst., 700 Ellicott St., changes or corrections and requests to be added to the mailing list should be addressed to the Buffalo, NY 14203 USA. editorial office. IUCr Newsletter ♦ Volume 15, Number 1 ♦ 2007 1 REGIONAL AFFILIATE NEWS European Crystallographic Association As current President I have this wonderful feeling of making a Brit- Since the ECA was created from the Eu- ish contribution to the European, including African, organisation of our ropean Crystallographic Committee (ECC), crystallographic science. Furthermore ECA, to be very practical about it, around 1997, the Special Interest Groups is one of the three regional associates of the IUCr and as such we have reserved some have been key for the development of ECA. space in the IUCr Newsletter, a most signifi cant point regarding an important channel The statutes defi ne the SIGs in Statute 12 as of communication to our members and the whole world of crystallographers. “Special Interest Groups in any area of crys- My duties thus far have been multi-faceted, and I give you here an overview spanning tallography may be proposed by four (4) or short, medium and long term matters. Most immediate is to help support our colleagues more Councillors or twenty (20) or more Af- in Morocco led by Prof Abdelmalek Thalal with their hosting of the ECM24. I visited fi liate or Individual Members. The establish- the Congress Centre in Marrakech in November for helping to fi nalize the Program and ment of any Special Interest Group requires the chance to offer comments on the local facilities. At the ECA website (www.ecanews. the approval of the Council. Rules about the org/) I share with you some photos of my visit, including a real collector’s item of me in establishment, dissolution and procedures of a blue turban! (www.ecanews.org/exc_news.htm). The Marrakech Congress Centre is su- Special Interest Groups shall be specifi ed in perb and the attached Hotel also marvellous. I had an afternoon free to visit Marrakech the By-Laws.” and see some of the sights. From the very positive impression I had of my whole visit one The current structure of the SIGs within outcome is that my wife and I are now booked on a 2 weeks holiday in several places in the ECA includes thirteen SIGs covering most Morocco following ECM24! Most importantly the ECM24 scientifi c programme is ad- aspects of Crystallography, each is devoted to a vancing very well; for example the number of Microsymposia has been expanded to cope particular yet wide crystallographic topic: SIG with the diversity of demand and the range of our fi eld. The Chairs of the ECA SIGs es- 1 is Macromolecular Crystallography, SIG 2 pecially have done a great job in community consultation and speakers’ selection. Further is for Charge, Spin & Momentum Density, talks will be selected from the submitted abstracts for each