Welcome to our August newsletter bringing you news and updates from the home of structural science. This month we cover the upcoming What's Up webinar and what's new with the latest CSD-Sketcher release. We also have several exciting blogs to share, including a Q&A with a Research Scientist Emeritus at the USDA, thoughts from our friends at the PDB on their 50th anniversary and congratulations from all of you to CCDC founder, Dr Olga Kennard on her Ewald Prize honour.
The CCDC team
What's Up Customer Update Webinar
Thursday, 23rd September
Our What's Up webinar helps you keep up to date on latest CSD updates, and ask your questions to our scientific teams. Register for September's webinar and learn more about:
In August, we launched the first full version of CSD-Sketcher – bringing you better database searching in WebCSD. Try it for yourself today! Once in the tool, you’ll see a button at the top of the screen for a survey. Please leave us your thoughts on this new functionality. Your comments and ideas will help us to shape future development.
Unique challenges from polymorphs in the agricultural sciences
Cellulose is polymorphic. The quality of products like cotton depends on the polymorph present. For example, mercerization is a process that can improve uniform dying while avoiding dye waste, a major pollution source. Learn more about polymorphic cellulose in this Q&A with Dr Alfred D. French, (USDA) Research Scientist Emeritus.
CSD-Discovery: An overview of features, case studies and applications
Are you getting the most from your CSD-Discovery licence? In this blog and accompanying video, CCDC Research and Applications Scientist, Dr Vera Prytkova highlights how specific tools are applied at different phases of the drug development pipeline using case studies from the literature.
Celebrating Dr Olga Kennard: Ewald Prize winner at IUCr2021
The database that Olga started over 50 years ago has grown significantly. For this immeasurable contribution to the field of crystallography, she was awarded the Ewald Prize. In honour, we talked to colleagues and fellow crystallographers about how she continues to impact structural science. Read their thoughts here.
The PDB marks its 50th anniversary this year! To celebrate, we co-hosted a day-long symposium at the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Fall 2021 meeting. Here, we talk to Christine Zardecki, Deputy Director of the PDB about how this milestone complements the ACS Fall 2021 theme of the “resiliency of chemistry.”
We're very excited to host, co-chair and speak at many virtual events in September. Check the list below and find out more on our website.
EFMC-ISMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry 2021 Sunday 29th August – Thursday 2nd September
CECAM Workshop: Non-Covalent Interactions in Large Molecules and Extended Materials Monday 30th August – Friday 3rd September
XLIX Meeting of the Italian Crystallographic Association (AIC) Monday 6th September –Thursday 9th September
Materials Science meeting Tuesday 7th September – Wednesday 8th September
11th Crystal Forms @Bologna 2021 Friday 10th September – Saturday 11th September
21st RSC/SCI Medicinal chemistry symposium Monday 13th September – Wednesday 15th September
EUROPIN Summer School on Drug Design, Vienna - online edition Monday 13th September – Friday 17th September
BIOVIA Virtual conference 2021 Tuesday 14th September – Thursday 16th September
Bio-IT World Conference and Expo 2021 Monday 20th September – Wednesday 22nd September
4th RSC-BMCS/RSC-CICAG Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry Monday 27th September – Tuesday 28th September
Art inspired by crystallography
The renovation at the CCDC building in Cambridge started in 2019. Artwork to educate and inspire our team and visitors on the theme of crystallography was a key requirement. From the beginning, it was clear we wanted to represent our mission around the building. We invited Clare Crouchman to create artwork that would inspire viewers on the topic of crystallography and structural science. Clare understood very well what the building represents for all of us and our community, and she has created astonishing pieces of art that fit the CCDC’s mission and vision. Here Clare describes in her own words her creative process.
If you'd like to contribute your stories or research to our monthly newsletter, please don't hesitate to get in touch at hello@ccdc.cam.ac.uk.
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