We have a lot happening this month, starting with the ACA conference on Friday, July 18. Pierre shares details about what we’re doing in Lombard, IL. We hope to see you there!
We have a lot happening this month, starting with the ACA conference on Friday, July 18. Pierre shares details about what we’re doing in Lombard, IL. We hope to see you there!
This month, we’re spotlighting the XtaLAB Synergy-S—our go-to system for X-ray diffraction—as well as Mark's video tip on customizing data statistics output in CrysAlisPro.
Some months it’s tough to find videos that meet my standards. Not this time! We’ve got two great ones: Chemical & Engineering News’ analysis of this year’s “Dance Your Ph.D.” winner, and Nature’s “Three Tips for Talking to a Vaccine Sceptic.”
We’re also highlighting several noteworthy papers this month—including one that took nearly a decade to bring to publication. Can you guess which one? And finally, Jeanette reviews Citizen Scholar: Public Engagement for Social Scientists.
On an inspiring note, don’t miss this New York Times article featuring stunning images from the new Vera Rubin Telescope in Chile. I’m in absolute awe.
In this presentation, I will discuss our application of electron diffraction to the study of MOFs, showing that careful control of analysis conditions can allow characterization of both solvated and empty MOF nanoparticles. Electron diffraction can pinpoint the location of guest molecules bound within the MOF pores, and I will describe the advantages of this approach inherent to working with smaller particles. I will also detail our analysis of structural flexibility upon application of temperature, showing how the unique conditions within the electron diffractometer allow characterization of transient intermediate states not observable elsewhere, and relate these results to macroscale physical phenomena such as gas adsorption behaviors. Join us to see how ED is transforming research, register now!
The RSfPC is a course aimed at newcomers to crystallography and focuses on the practical aspects of crystallography with 10 lectures covering approx 10 hours and a course exam at the end.
The Rigaku School for Practical Crystallography was created during the pandemic to help fill the gap left by the cancellation of many regional crystallographic teaching schools. Thanks to the positive response over the past four years, it has continued to grow. Now offered on-demand, the course aims to make learning more accessible by overcoming time-zone challenges and reaching a wider audience.
We’re excited to welcome new students to the Rigaku School for Practical Crystallography.
Our LinkedIn groupshares information and fosters discussion about X-ray crystallography and SAXS topics. Connect with other research groups and receive updates on how they use these techniques in their own laboratories. You can also catch up on the latest newsletter or Rigaku Journal issue. We also hope that you will share information about your own research and laboratory groups.
Atrigakuxrayforum.comyou can find discussions about software, general crystallography issues and more. It’s also the place to download the latest version of Rigaku Oxford Diffraction’sCrysAlisProsoftware for single crystal data processing.
We’re excited to be exhibiting at the American Crystallographic Association (ACA) 2025 Annual Meeting, taking place July 18-23 in Lombard, Illinois.
Stop by the Rigaku booth to see a mockup of our new microfocus sealed-tube source, the PhotonJetMAX-S. We will also be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the merger between Rigaku and Oxford Diffraction with a special T-shirt giveaway and two fun contests.
Wear your free T-shirt around the conference or the city and share your photos online to compete for a chance to win a $150, $100, or $50 gift card. Winners will be chosen based on the number of likes their photo receives by July 28 at 10:00 AM Central Time.
Or join us at the booth on July 20 at 6:30 PM during the poster session for a prize draw. Two attendees will be awarded $100 each, but you must be present and wearing the T-shirt to claim your prize.
Throughout the three-day exhibit, Rigaku team members will also be offering guidance for solving challenging datasets, navigating publication and proposal processes, or exploring careers at vendor companies. Just stop by and ask.
Single Or Dual Microfocus X-ray Diffractometer For All Your Crystallography Needs
A fast and agile single crystal X-ray diffractometer for small molecule 3D structure analysis
With your success utmost in our minds, we have developed the XtaLAB Synergy-S X-ray diffractometer for single crystal X-ray diffraction. Using a combination of leading-edge components and user-inspired software tied together through a highly parallelized architecture, the XtaLAB Synergy-S produces fast, accurate data in an intelligent fashion.
XtaLAB Synergy-S Overview:
The system is based around the PhotonJet-S series of microfocus X-ray sources that optionally incorporate continuously variable divergence slits. These third-generation sources have been designed to maximize X-ray photons at the sample by using a combination of new optics, new longer-life tubes and an improved alignment system. PhotonJet-S sources are available in Cu, Mo or Ag wavelengths in either a single or dual source configuration. The XtaLAB Synergy-S single crystal X-ray diffractometer comes with a kappa goniometer that incorporates fast motor speeds and a unique telescopic two-theta arm to provide total flexibility for your diffraction experiment. The system is also equipped with your choice of HPC hybrid photon counting detectors, the HyPix-6000HE or the large theta coverage detectors: HyPix-Arc 100° or HyPix-Arc 150°.
In some settings, there is a desire to share instrument resources across different research groups. The XtaLAB Synergy-S in a dual-source configuration is the perfect system to be shared between protein crystallographers and chemical crystallographers: a Mo source will give the chemical crystallographers the wavelength necessary to reduce absorption from heavier elements and a Cu source, with optional continuously variable divergence slits, will give the protein crystallographer the functionality necessary to resolve large unit cells.
The XtaLAB Synergy-S now comes equipped with our new UG3 goniometer, which offers faster, more efficient data collections. For more information about the UG3, please see the overview page.
HyPix Detectors
Rigaku’s own HyPix family of detectors use solid state pixel array technology to enable direct X-ray photon detection and counting. Direct X-ray photon detection means that X-ray photons are counted instantaneously as they arrive at the detector. There is no conversion to visible light by a scintillator so the energy of the photon can be assessed at moment of detection. This leads to essentially noise free images. The HyPix detectors feature a 100 Hz frame rate which allows for data fine slicing even at the fastest goniometer speeds. The HyPix detectors incorporate dual counters enabling several modes of operation. Rapid alternating counter electronics (RACE) technology enables the 100 Hz zero dead time mode, ensures that no pixel is blind for more than a few nanoseconds during exposure to X-rays. The high dynamic range mode combines the counters to offer a massive 31-bit counter depth. Dual thresholding offers differential modes and selective signal suppression.
PhotonJet-S
The XtaLAB Synergy-S is defined by its new PhotonJet-S X-ray source. The PhotonJet-S sources provide almost double the flux for all three target types (Mo, Cu, Ag) compared to the previous generation. For the best data quality, it is important to ensure any source provides highly reproducible flux frame after frame. As tube temperature changes, so does the X-ray flux reaching your sample. Controlling the temperature of our sources using closed-circuit water cooling offers the best solution for both consistent and high performance and reliability in a completely standalone package.
Beam Conditioning
Manual alignment of X-ray sources often requires direct access to knobs and screws inside the radiation safety enclosure. This represents a risk of exposure to X-ray radiation and thus is often left to service engineers to perform. The iOM device allows fully remote alignment of the X-ray optic while the X-ray safety enclosure is safely interlocked.
CrysAlisPro
The XtaLAB Synergy-S comes complete with CrysAlisPro, our user-inspired data collection and data processing software for single crystal analysis. Designed around an easy-to-use graphical user interface, CrysAlisPro can be operated under fully automatic, semi-automatic or manual control. CrysAlisPro combines automated crystal screening, the fastest and most accurate strategy software available, concurrent data reduction and automatic small molecule structure solution. Visual feedback is provided for each step with clear, color-coded guidance so that both novices and experts can collect high-quality data in the shortest time possible.
CrysAlisPro can be operated in either a protein or small molecule dedicated workflow. Popular third-party protein data processing packages can easily process diffraction data if desired.
AutoChem
AutoChem is the ultimate productivity tool for small molecule chemists, offering fast, fully automatic structure solution and refinement during data collection. Developed in collaboration with OlexSys Ltd (Durham University, UK), AutoChem works in conjunction with Olex² where more advanced structure solution and refinement functionality exists. AutoChem is seamlessly integrated within CrysAlisPro and forms an integral part of our ‘What is this?’ feature. The ‘What is this?’ feature gives you structures quickly and ensures you are not wasting time collecting full datasets on known samples or starting materials. It is an alternative pre-experiment option, which is used to plan your full data collections.
The Universal V1-Puck (Unipuck) is the gold standard for crystal sample storage and transport—designed for seamless compatibility with many automated sample mounting systems at synchrotrons and home labs around the globe.
Developed collaboratively by leading beamline facilities (ALS, APS, SBC-CAT, and SSRL), the unipuck features a compact, standardized design and is operated using existing ALS tools. Each component of the V1-Puck carries a unique serial number for easy identification, with custom coloring and serial options available upon request.
🧰 Available individually or as part of a comprehensive kit
Rigaku offers a crystal structure determination service with scientific support, with data collection on a XtaLAB Synergy-ED diffractometer in Rigaku's own laboratories.
Access our electron diffraction service delivering all structural information, datasets, raw data files and software to re-process at your own leisure. Electron diffraction can be carried out on samples with crystallites under 1 micron in size, meaning that crystallization trials for traditional X-ray analysis no longer have to become a bottle neck to structural analysis.
CrysAlisᴾʳᵒ Tip of the Month: Customizing data statistics output
By Mark DelCampo
Take control of your data output in CrysAlisᴾʳᵒ! In this Tip-of-the-Month, we walk you through how to customize the statistics shown in the "Statistics vs Resolution" table in the Results Inspector. Learn how to add and reorder R factors like Rurim, Rpim, and CC1/2, adjust the number of resolution shells, and apply these settings globally so every dataset you collect includes exactly the statistics you want. Whether you're working with small molecule or protein data, this short walkthrough ensures you get the most relevant quality indicators up front—without extra post-processing.
Philip N. Cohen’s Citizen Scholar: Public Engagement for Social Scientists is a helpful handbook for academics in the social sciences who want guidelines for engaging with a wider audience as an informed citizen. Citizen Scholar is very personal for Cohen—as a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park, he has plenty of firsthand experience and illustrative anecdotes to share with his readers. Without being overly didactic—and with a sense of human fallibility and the ease with which we can make mistakes in our modern times— Cohen shares accounts of his own faux pas navigating the digital world, as well as accounts of his successes. Citizen Scholar isn’t just for social scientists—it’s a meaningful read for anyone in academia, whether at the beginning of their career or nearing the end. By Cohen’s estimation, part of the ethical conundrum of being well-educated and well-informed is finding ways to share that wealth of knowledge in an impactful way beyond fellow academics without alienating a non-academic audience.
