Sven Hovmöller and Ute Kolb win 2020 Gjønnes Medal in Electron Crystallography

The IUCr Gjønnes Medal in Electron Crystallography has been awarded to Sven Hovmöller (left; Professor Emeritus, Stockholm University, Sweden) and Ute Kolb (Head, Centre for High Resolution Electron Microscopy, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany) for their pioneering work in the field of electron crystallography, particularly for developing 3D electron diffraction techniques.

In the 1990s, Sven Hovmöller and his group combined high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and zone-axis electron diffraction patterns for the solution of atomic structures. In 2007, Ute Kolb and her group developed the automated electron diffraction tomography (ADT) method, which allows the collection of 3D electron diffraction data suitable for structure analysis. As a result, atomic structures of many organic and inorganic crystals were solved. In 2008, Sven Hovmöller and his group suggested an alternative approach to collecting the 3D electron diffraction data – the Rotation Electron Diffraction (RED) method – which is also successfully used for the structure solution of complex structures, including proteins. Today, these methods are widely used by crystallographers all over the globe for the structure solution of new materials.

In addition to their outstanding scientific results, which were published in high-ranking international journals (e.g. Nature and Science), both scientists have been very active as organisers of international schools on electron crystallography over many years. Thus, they have had a crucial role in the formation of a generation of electron crystallographers.

Professors Hovmöller and Kolb will receive their award during the 25th IUCr Congress in Prague, Czech Republic, in August 2021, where they will share the presentation of a Keynote Lecture.

On hearing the news from Louisa Meshi, Chair of the IUCr Commission on Electron Crystallography, Sven said "I am very pleased and honoured to receive the Gjønnes Medal. I am especially happy to share this prize with Ute Kolb, who has made such great contributions to electron crystallography." Ute also expressed her delight and added "My best congratulations to you, Sven. I think you have deserved this for quite a long time." See a congratulatory message from Sven Lidin, IUCr President, here.

The IUCr was pleased to be able to conduct (socially distanced) interviews with the recipients about their life and work. Ute explained her inspiration as follows:

The electron diffraction method used to acquire data in [Ingrid Voigt-Martin's] group offered me the scope for development – by applying my knowledge of X-ray structure analysis to quantification of electron diffraction data, I was able to combine my passion for structure analysis with my love of crystallography

and Sven was equally enthusiastic:

Now that I am 72 and have retired, I can honestly say that I never was very interested in chemistry, BUT THE NUMBERS! I loved them and I still love to look through tables with thousands of lines and dozens of columns, such as you can get in crystallography. And knowing that there are unknown scientific rules and principles hidden inside these numbers – yours to find out if you can just decipher the numbers!

Read the full interview with Sven Hovmöller here.
Read the full interview with Ute Kolb here.

For a list of papers by Sven Hovmöller appearing in IUCr journals click here.
For a list of papers by Ute Kolb appearing in IUCr journals click here.