European Crystallographic Meeting 34

During the last week of August (26-30th August 2024) the crystallographic community met in the medieval city of Padova, Italy, to discuss the latest developments and results in the field of crystallography (https://www.ecm34.org/). The Congress welcomed more than 800 participants who contributed in 43 microsymposia spanning from quantum crystallography over applications in material and biological sciences to teaching and crystallography in art, accompanied by about 700 posters. The plenary lectures were given by Kristina Djinovic on the molecular architecture of muscles and by Jonathan Wright providing insights into imaging single crystals in powder samples. The most significant developments in the key directions of instrumentation, computational tools and application of crystallographic approaches in various branches of research were presented in 16 keynote lectures. The social program offered amongst others the Science Slam, a great concert of classical music in Palazzo Liviano, a public lecture Einstein and Me by Gabriella Greison, a students’ mixer, and an unusual experience in the form of a conference dinner in one of the historical city squares. This Congress was complemented by seven satellite events, including the European Young Crystallographers Satellite Meeting or the special event Crystallography in School promoting teaching of crystallography with school science teachers. The organizing committee chaired by Gilberto Artioli and Giuseppe Zanotti with the help from the chairs and co-chairs of the individual microsymposia managed to prepare a great event with exciting topics, excellent speakers, and plenty of space for social and scientific interactions. The crystallographic song A musical account of a rather unfortunate trainee crystallographer by Bill Clegg was performed with the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Science Slam and also during the closing ceremony to great success. It was a treat to all the crystallographers - allowing them to enjoy not just science but also good music and fun.

Five crystallographic prizes were awarded during the Meeting. Firstly, the Max Perutz Prize to Professor Mariusz Jaskólski, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, accompanied with his lecture A path paved with crystals; the Erwin Felix Lewy Bertaut Prize to Daniel Mazzone, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen; and the Alajos Kálmán Prize to Piero Macchi, Politecnico di Milano. Then, two newly established prizes were awarded for the first time: the Lodovico Riva di Sanseverino Prize in recognition of notable contributions to the dissemination of crystallography in the field of education at all levels to Claire Murray, a Freelance Scientific Researcher in Germany, and the George M. Sheldrick Prize to a non-tenured researcher for outstanding scientific contributions in the field of structural sciences to Marta Morana, University of Florence. Find more information about the European Crystallographic Association (ECA) prizes here: https://ecanews.org/prizes/.

The Max Perutz Prize awardee Professor Mariusz Jaskólski during his lecture: A path paved with crystals.

Eleven poster prizes, supported by companies, IUCr Journals, the CCDC and others, appreciated the best poster presenters, in specific fields of research, instrumentation development or at the start of their career.

The previous Executive Committee of the ECA finished its term and a new Committee was elected by the ECA Council. Achievements of the outgoing Executive Committee were appreciated by the Council and some Committee members have been re-elected into their new roles. Dr Arie van der Lee (Université de Montpellier) has become the new President of the ECA. The ECA Council has approved the organization of the European Crystallographic School 11 in Stockholm, 21st-27th June 2026, and of ECM37 in Athens, August 2028.