Commission on Small-Angle Scattering
The Commission represent the interests of the worldwide Small-Angle Scattering community, and collaborates closely with national small-angle scattering interest groups.
The Terms of Reference define the scope of the Commission's activities, which are detailed in the Annual and Triennial reports. In particular the Commission is responsible for coordinating Small-Angle Scattering talks and Microsymposia at the IUCr Congresses, helping organise the triennial International Conference on Small-Angle Scattering, and awarding the Guinier Prize. The Commission also acts as a coordinating body for discussion on topics of interest to the community.
The Members of the Commission represent both the breadth of small angle scattering areas-of-interest and the geographical range of the IUCr associates.
Check out our list of Selected Readings in Small-Angle Scattering.
Those who are interested in knowing how these things get started should take a look at the Background Material that we have provided.
Building a Worldwide Small-Angle Scattering Community
A 2021 survey of the healthy state of international collaboration within the community appeared in Journal of Applied Crystallography and the IUCr Newsletter and is also included here.
Individual members of the worldwide SAS community are hereby asked to:
- Subscribe to the small-angle scattering listserver.
- Become members of their national associations of crystallographers.
- Enrol in the World Database of Crystallographers
- Promote the work of the Commission and its affiliated national interest groups by recruiting their colleagues as members of the community whenever and wherever they encounter them.
2024 Guinier Prize Winner
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Guinier Prize is awarded to Prof. Takeji Hashimoto from Kyoto University, Japan.
Professor Hashimoto is a distinguished faculty member at Kyoto University who has dedicated his career to the innovative application and development of Small-Angle Scattering (SAS) techniques, including a focus on combining measurements using X-rays (SAXS), neutrons (SANS), and light (SALS). His pioneering research has elucidated the complex behaviors of a variety of polymer systems, including block copolymers, polymer blends, gels, and nanocomposites, both in equilibrium and under dynamic conditions.
View the full statement here.
To see previous awardees, please see this page.
We are sponsoring several microsymposia at the 2026 IUCr Congress:
- MS003 Self-assembly and structure of the world around us: food, detergents, and paints The things we use and consume in everyday life often have unique and complex structures that give rise to their physical properties and dictate their overall performance. Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering play a key role in gaining insight into these structures. This microsymposium will explore the role of formulation design and process engineering in the self-assembly of materials and their use in applications ranging from food to soaps and cosmetics to paints. A mixture of academic and industrial researchers will describe how advances in measurement science using small-angle scattering enable the next generation of high-performance, healthier, and more sustainable products.
- MS026 Coherent scattering and X-ray photo correlation spectorscopy enabled by new sources and instrumentation This microsymposium will highlight cutting-edge research in coherent-based techniques such as XPCS and phase-contrast imaging methods, including CDI, ptychography, holography, and BraggCDI, with applications across biology, materials science, and physics. Discussions will also cover technical developments such as operando studies, sample environments, fast detectors, and advanced algorithms needed to leverage the unique capabilities of diffraction-limited storage rings. By addressing emerging challenges and fostering collaboration, this microsymposium aims to drive progress in the field of coherent and phase-contrast imaging.
- MS037 Expanding the possibilities of pharmaceutical innovation through small-angle scattering Recent advancements in small-angle scattering (SAS) are elevating pharmaceutical research, offering powerful tools to tackle emerging challenges in drug discovery and development. SAS provides critical insights into internal structure, stability, flexibility, and interactions under near-physiological conditions. This microsymposium will explore the latest developments in SAS techniques, focusing on their application in accelerating pharmaceutical innovation and addressing key questions in drug discovery, formulation, and delivery. Insights will include high-throughput screening of drug candidates as well as new approaches that couple online purification systems, such as asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4), for the detailed characterization of complex and novel drug delivery systems including lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). In addition to these hardware solutions, advances in rapid acquisition of high-quality data, coupled with robust and comprehensive analysis, are enabling faster decision-making across the entire drug development process.
- MS045 Open data, standards, and repositories for small- and wide-angle X-ray and neutron scattering data in the era of big data and ai advancements In the age of rapidly expanding and increasingly complex X-ray and neutron scattering datasets, there is a growing need to present standardized data and metadata accurately, following modern best practices and adhering to the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles. This microsymposium will focus on the challenges and successes of open data formats and accessibility in the context of small- and wide-angle scattering experiments. Topics will include community-driven initiatives ranging from the formulation of basic reporting guidelines and measurement standards to the more complex tasks of packaging and disseminating intricate multimodal data and parameters. Discussions will also explore the role of beamlines and other sources in data storage and metadata production, enabling interoperable exchange across large-scale data resources and knowledge bases.
- MS055 (Ultra) small angle scattering approaches to hierarchy across structural science Biological studies, including crystallography, often depend on hierarchical assembly, beginning with soluble molecules that ultimately organize into reactive macroscopic materials. Understanding these assemblies and the processes that drive their formation requires the application of multiple techniques that traverse different length scales. Ultra-small-angle scattering (USAS) is an indispensable tool for in situ observation and characterization of hierarchical structures from the nanoscale to the micrometer scale, which is important for understanding the dynamic processes that control materials. This microsymposium will explore exemplary material systems, from biological to metallic, where hierarchical structure characterization is critical, as well as the methods used to characterize their assembly.
- MS085 Neutron and X-ray contrast variation methods in small angle scattering, their application and synergy This microsymposium will focus on contrast variation methods in small-angle scattering using X-rays, neutrons, or both to analyze complex multicomponent nanostructures in scientific and technical applications. It will address the disentanglement of complex problems in chemistry, physics, biology, materials science, and catalyst research, including critical phenomena, kinetics of phase transitions, self-assembly, transport phenomena, and catalytic activity. The session will also cover theoretical and methodological aspects and the complementary use of neutrons and X-rays in small-angle scattering.
- MS104 New materials challenges addressed by cutting-edge small-angle x-ray and neutron instrumentation Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS) have developed into major techniques widely used in materials science, chemistry, and biology. Recent and upcoming upgrades at synchrotron and neutron sources, as well as advances in high-brightness home X-ray sources, provide opportunities for even greater advances in small-angle scattering instrumentation across a wide range of applications. This session will highlight new developments and capabilities in SAXS/SANS instrumentation from both large facilities and home sources, including hardware, software, and sample environments.
- MS124 Applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence in biological small angle scattering Biological small-angle scattering (SAS), including small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), is a powerful technique for probing biomolecular structures in near-physiological conditions. Over the past decades, advances in high-throughput instrumentation and data analysis methods have significantly enhanced the speed and accessibility of SAS. However, SAS data remain inherently low resolution, often leading to ambiguity in structural analysis. Additionally, many BioSAS modeling approaches are computationally intensive, lagging behind the rapid pace of data collection. To address these challenges, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) are emerging as transformative tools, enabling more efficient, accurate, and high-throughput SAS data analysis. This microsymposium will highlight cutting-edge ML and AI applications in biological SAS, including AI-driven automated data processing, feature extraction, model selection, and structural reconstruction. Additionally, the session will explore the integration of SAS data with complementary structural techniques, advanced modeling approaches, and atomic structure predictions. By leveraging ML and AI, researchers can enhance experimental efficiency, streamline data interpretation, and extract more precise structural insights, ultimately expanding the capabilities of SAS-based biomolecular studies.
- We are also supporting: MS130 Artificial intelligence and machine learning in crystallography and scattering Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly transforming the landscape of crystallography and scattering techniques, offering groundbreaking tools for data analysis, structure prediction, and experimental automation. As the volume and complexity of crystallographic and scattering data continue to grow, ML algorithms provide powerful methods for pattern recognition, crystal structure classification, and optimization of experimental parameters. Applications include automated phase determination, enhancement of electron density map interpretation, prediction of crystal packing, and identification of new materials with tailored properties. Deep learning techniques, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have shown particular promise in image-based tasks like crystal identification and segmentation, while reinforcement learning is being explored for optimizing experimental workflows. At synchrotron and XFEL facilities, AI-driven approaches are accelerating data processing, enabling autonomous experiments, and enhancing structure refinement processes. This microsymposium will highlight recent advances in the integration of AI and ML across crystallography and scattering, with contributions from researchers developing and applying these tools to X-ray and neutron scattering, single-particle imaging, and materials characterization. It will also address current challenges in model interpretability, data curation, and software integration. The synergy between AI and traditional methodologies is poised to revolutionize the field by enabling faster, more accurate, and more reproducible analyses.
These pages are maintained by the Commission Last updated: 15 Dec 2025