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Table of Contents
14th West Coast Protein Workshop ACA Corporate Members 29th Mid-Atlantic Protein Workshop Structural Biology Symposium in Galveston, TX Structural Biology Symposium page 2 Structural Biology Symposium page 3 Update on Spallation Neutron Source Calendar of Meetings Positions Available CAD-4 For Sale ICDD Scholarships
Marcia J. Colquhoun, Administrative Manager |
President's
Column A
wise sage once said that we all stand on the backs of those who
went before us (this is close enough). The meaning is clear,
we build our science or our individual contribution to it on
the work or accomplishments of our predecessors. In my first
column, which appeared in the Spring Newsletter I described the
meeting where Hauptman and Karle presented their version of "direct
methods." I did not mean to imply that they were the only
developers of means for the solution of the phase problem but
was only recounting how exciting were my experiences as a graduate
student. Several ACA members wrote to me about earlier contributions
so I thought to include them in this column. A symposium on Advanced
Techniques in Structure Determination was presented at the third
International Congress held in the summer of 1951. There were
several outstanding papers given by A.L. Patterson and others
on vector methods, and early attempts at direct solution methods
by Martin Buerger, Dan McLachlan, Jr., J.Garrido and Eddie Hughes.
However, a seminal paper was presented by David Sayre on "Some
new phase-determining relationships and their application to
the structure of hydroxyproline". This talk was followed
by a paper [Acta Cryst. 5, 60 (1952)] providing a clear description
of the Squaring Method. Bill Cochran was already applying the
method for structure solution in 1951. This was also the year
that statistical methods were being explored by Hauptman, Karle
and A.J.C. Wilson which eventually led to the events I described
in my earlier column. I think it is important to have a knowledge
or feeling for the history of our discipline since these early
contributions have laid the foundations for the powerful modern
methods we have today. Having said all of the above I think it
is appropriate to briefly discuss the problem of the lack of
rigorous courses in structural crystallography at many universities
and chemistry departments in particular. An effort needs to be
made to have such courses available to students to maintain the
high quality of work expected of crystallographers. One suggestion
is to have a combined course serving several departments such
as chemistry, biochemistry, geology, etc. I would like to hear
from our membership on this subject. Please feel free to contact
me with your thoughts and suggestions.Abe Clearfield |
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