Engaging the next generation of synchrotron x-ray crystallography researchers is of paramount importance to the future of this critical scientific field. The universities that train new experimentalists and the facilities that provide the infrastructure for cutting edge science recognize their responsibilities to bring students into the field and in expanding diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
On April 6–7, 2024, 36 undergraduate and graduate students including faculty members from two Historically Black Universities (HBCUs: Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia), and research scientists from NSF’s ChemMatCARS (The University of Chicago) gathered at Howard U. for the “MSI [Minority-Serving Institutions] Crystallography Workshop 2024”.
Participants in the “MSI Crystallography Workshop 2024.”
This first-of-its-kind workshop was co-organized by the two HBCUs and NSF’s ChemMatCARS, and was funded by a National Science Foundation Partnerships for Research and Education in Chemistry (NSF PREC) Planning Grant. Timothy Ramadhar (Howard U.) and Yu-Sheng Chen (U. of Chicago and leader of the NSF’s ChemMatCARS Advanced Crystallography Program) collaborated on organizing the workshop.
Timothy Ramadhar and Xueqing Song (U. District of Columbia) delivered the workshop opening remarks. Matthew Tirrell (U. of Chicago and NSF’s ChemMatCARS Principal Investigator) provided an overview of the NSF’s ChemMatCARS facility at the Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source. Raymond Butcher (Howard U.) introduced students to the field of crystallography, followed by Yu-Sheng Chen who presented details of the beamline’s Advanced Crystallography Program and its technical capabilities.
The scientific portion of the workshop provided a comprehensive overview of synchrotron x-ray crystallography.
Jennifer Swift (Georgetown U.) and Samuel Dunning (Carnegie Institute for Science) delivered scientific talks and demonstrated how x-ray diffraction (the principal tool for synchrotron crystallographic research) can be used to solve important scientific problems.
Pierre LeMagueres (Rigaku Americas Corp.) led a session introducing students to the CrysAlisPro data analysis software, which is used on the in-house single-crystal x-ray diffractometers at Howard U. and U. District of Columbia that were both funded through recent National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grants.
Tieyan Chang and Jinxing Jiang (both U. of Chicago and NSF’s ChemMatCARS) discussed the Bruker APEX software (Chang), which is another data analysis software for crystallographic research used extensively at the beamline; and SHELX/Olex2 (Jiang), which are programs used to solve, refine, and finalize small-molecule crystal structures. This session provided the students with an opportunity to process sets of x-ray diffraction data collected at the NSF’s ChemMatCARS beamline.
The students were encouraged to put into practice what they have learned and apply for beam time at NSF’s ChemMatCARS.
The workshop concluded with a listening session that gave students the opportunity to share their journey in STEM and present ideas on ways to improve student retention in science. The organizers came away from this session with valuable insights about ways to develop a meaningful partnership between the HBCUs and NSF’s ChemMatCARS for future NSF PREC research grant submissions.
The organizers are already in the early stages of planning another workshop this year, possibly held at the NSF’s ChemMatCARS facility, which is being equipped with new technological capabilities to leverage an enhanced x-ray beam provided through the recent Advanced Photon Source upgrade.
The NSF Chemistry Division’s (CHE) PREC program is dedicated to fostering, establishing, and enhancing collaborations between MSIs and CHE PREC-supported research centers. Its primary goal is to increase recruitment, retention, and degree attainment among underrepresented groups in chemistry research. Simultaneously, the program aims to bolster outstanding research and educational initiatives that reinforce these partnerships.
As a CHE-supported center, NSF’s ChemMatCARS has actively engaged in forging scientific partnerships with several MSIs. In the case of this workshop, faculty from Howard U. and the U. of the District of Columbia received financial backing from the NSF through a PREC Planning Grant (CHE-2334957). NSF’s ChemMatCARS is supported by the Divisions of Chemistry and Materials Research of the National Science Foundation, under grant number NSF/CHE-1834750.