2009 ACA Industrial SIG Report
ACA Council
July 2009

The 2009 activities for the Industrial SIG focused on preparing for the Toronto ACA sessions which involved our group. The Industrial SIG chaired one session (Appendix I) and co-chaired two others (Appendix II).

The Industrial SIG has focused over the past several years on chairing sessions which showcase industrial work involving some form of crystallography (Appendix I). This year’s Session 03.01, Applications of New Technologies in Industry, chaired by Matt Peterson of Amgen, continued with this theme. Engaged Industrial SIG members have felt this is the best way for our group to present topics which are complementary to those already offered at ACA meetings.

Several of the Industrial SIG sessions at past ACA meetings have concluded with panel discussion periods; this allows audience members to engage presenters, and it has been very well-received by young scientists preparing to embark on industrial or academic careers. In an effort to expand on this popular format, the Industrial SIG co-chaired the 06.12 Professional Directions panel discussion session with the Young Scientists SIG. This session was co-organized by Ryan Jackson, Chair of the YSSIG, and Tim Rydel of Monsanto. Because Tim was unable to attend the meeting, Ryan and Herb Klei of Bristol-Myers Squibb presided over the session. The seven member panel includes individuals employed in academics, government, and industry. The aim of the session is to give attendees and opportunity to learn about different professional avenues available to those with a background in crystallography, and to ask questions of the panelists.

Sessions relating to the involvement and impact of protein crystallography to drug design are always well-attended at ACA meetings, and the other co-chaired session pertained to this scientific area. Session 06.05, Structure-based Drug Design, was co-chaired by Eddie Arnold of Rutgers University and Duncan McRee of Sorrento Technologies.

The Industrial SIG is now in its sixth year of existence. On the plus side, our SIG has brought industrial scientists of diverse crystallographic backgrounds together and presented sessions that offer ACA participants a flavor for how industry benefits from crystallography. Realistically speaking, however, the long-term viability of this SIG is uncertain. Only a small fraction of the ISIG membership has been willing to participate in planning ACA-related sessions, and those that do tend to be the same people. Also, industrial crystallographers have been having difficulty attending meetings over the past few years due to the challenging economic times and corporate travel restrictions.

Respectfully,

Tim Rydel Jeff Bell

Chair Secretary

Appendix I
Sessions Sponsored by the ACA Industrial SIG

2005 – Orlando (Kissinger and Parris)
High-throughput Crystallization and Visualization

2006 – Honolulu (Klei and Fitzgerald)
Structural Biology in Industry

2007 – Salt Lake City (Ohren and Bott)
Impact of Crystallography in Industry

2008 – Knoxville (Rydel and Bell)
Challenges in Industrial Crystallography

2009 – Toronto (Peterson)
Application of New Technologies in Industry

Appendix II
Sessions Co-sponsored by the ACA Industrial SIG

2006 – Hawaii (Swainson)
PDF Analysis of Industrial Relevant Materials / Materials / Powder

2007 – Salt Lake City (Jardetsky and Mathews)
Structural Mechanisms of Infectious Disease / BioMac