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YB WEB DESK. Dated: 6/21/2022 3:10:18 PM

Crystallographer: job description

Crystallography is a branch of science that examines crystal forms of materials that form crystalline compounds. It generates knowledge that is used to make exciting advances in fields such as medicine, electronics and manufacturing, and can also be used to support patent applications. Crystallographers examine the molecular and atomic structure of crystal forms of materials, including metals, gases and biological materials such as proteins, nucleic acids and viruses. They use X-ray techniques among other methods (such as powder diffraction) to study the connection between the material’s atomic structure and its chemical and physical properties. This can lead to modifying the properties of the material to make it behave differently for the benefit of society. A crystallographer can work in areas such as biology, chemistry, materials science, physics, archaeology and geology. For example, crystallography has previously contributed to science’s understanding of graphene and helped with the discovery of structures of biological molecules such as cholesterol, penicillin and insulin, as well as the structure of protein and DNA. Crystallography can also be used to help: tackle the growing issue of bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics develop drugs to treat diseases produce new skin and healthcare products develop new materials for use in smart clothing create low-energy consumption television, computer and mobile phone screens.