Graphic "2014: the year of crystallography"A UWindsor chemistry professor will explain x-ray crystallography—and some discoveries made using it—in a free public lecture Wednesday.

Public lecture to shine light on x-ray crystallography

X-ray crystallography can determine the arrangement of atoms in materials and make three-dimensional pictures of molecules— more than 25 Nobel prizes have been awarded on the basis of its use.

In honour of the centennial of the first Nobel prize awarded for this remarkable tool, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 2014 as the International Year of Crystallography.

UWindsor chemistry professor Charles Macdonald will explain how X-ray crystallography works and illustrate some highlights discovered using this method in a free public lecture entitled “X-Ray Crystallography: A Century of Exploring the World at the Atomic Scale,” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 19, at Canada South Science City.

This amazing avenue of discovery underpins major advances in physics, chemistry, material science, biology, medicine, engineering, and more. Dr. Macdonald’s lecture is sponsored by the Faculty of Science as part of the Science Café series, which offers discussion of important science research for the general public.