Meeting report (IUCr supported)
CCP4 Central European Workshop 2026
The CCP4 Central European Workshop 2026 was held in Nové Hrady, Czechia, from 26th April to 2nd May. It covered all aspects of the experimental data processing from macromolecular crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy. The lectures and practical tutorials focused on diffraction data processing, single particle reconstruction, molecular structure prediction using AI, structure model placement, building, refinement and validation. An important component of the workshop was the hands-on evening sessions, during which participants worked on their own project data while tutors were available to provide guidance and assistance.
Our workshop was oversubscribed: we received more than 40 applications and selected 30 participants due to capacity limitations. The successful applicants had to bring their own experimental data to work on during the workshop.
The participants came from several institutes across Europe as listed in the following table:
| 10 | Germany | 1 | Denmark |
| 6 | Czechia | 1 | France |
| 3 | Sweden | 1 | Latvia |
| 2 | Italy | 1 | Lithuania |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 1 | Poland |
| 1 | Austria | 1 | Slovakia |
Moreover, the group was internationally diverse as several participants came from countries outside Europe as well, including the USA, Mexico, Brazil, India, Pakistan and Vietnam.
Participant gender balance: 19 women (63%), 11 men (37%).
Tutor gender balance: 7 women (35%), 13 men (65%).
The participants were outstandingly talented and active. I was personally amazed by their enthusiasm as they were working hard at the hands-on sessions almost every evening until late to make the most of the workshop. We also collected feedback and got predominantly positive responses. A few imperfections in the scientific software were also identified and will be addressed by the developers. The atmosphere during the event was collaborative and friendly. To conclude, the workshop can be considered very successful.
I chaired the committee responsible for the programme and participant selection, consisting of Lucrezia Catapano, Jarmila Dušková, Maria Fando, Agnel Praveen Joseph and Garib Murshudov. The local organisers were Radomír Kužel and Jindřich Hašek from the Czech and Slovak Crystallographic Association. We hope that such workshops can be organised at this venue on an annual basis. The strong demand for these events, together with their positive impact on participants’ scientific careers, clearly demonstrates their value.
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