MVD School and CCDC Workshop on Small Molecule Crystallography

After four Small Molecule Crystallography Schools organized by the Crystallography, Solid State and Materials Chemistry Laboratory at Facultad de Química (FQ), Universidad de la República in Montevideo, Uruguay (1994, 2014, 2016 and 2018), we decided to start a series of schools aimed to train young crystallographers in the Latin American Community. This series started with the Montevideo School and Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) Workshop on Small Molecule Crystallography - MVD School 2026 held between the 23^rd and 28^th, February 2026 and counted with the support of the Red Uruguaya de Cristalografía and the Latin American Crystallographic Association (LACA).The core of the organization and lecturers group: Javier Ellena from Brazil, Florencia Di Salvo from Argentina, Vojtech Jancik from México, Natalia Alvarez and Leopoldo Suescun from Uruguay, have been involved in over half a dozen previous small molecule crystallography schools in Latin America, continuing with a long tradition of regional education in Crystallography. For this event, Noelia Méndez and Santiago Rostán also from FQ joined Natalia and Leopoldo in the Local Organizing Committee. Additionally, Ashley Smidt from Bruker AXS, and Ilaria Gimondi and Yinka Olatuji-Ojo from the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, contributed their expertise to the practical aspects of single crystal diffractometry and structural analysis using Bruker APEX software and the Cambridge Structural Database software, respectively. Their involvement enabled students to have practical afternoon and evening sessions with the Bruker D8 VENTURE diffractometer, as well as a full day CCDC Workshop, taught in person in the region for the first time. The school was supported by Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII) and Programa para el Desarrollo de las Ciencias Básicas (PEDECIBA-Química), both Uruguayan organizations, Bruker AXS, the CCDC, the IUCr and Anton Paar. 

Contributions from international organizations allowed to support 12 Young Scientists Awards covering local expenses of attendees from Argentina (6), Brazil (2), Chile, Costa Rica and México (2). The event brought together 42 participants (including Lecturers, vendors, young Professors, Postdocs, PhD, MSc and undergraduate students) from Argentina (8), Brazil (5), Chile (2), Costa Rica (1), México (3), USA (2), UK (1) and Uruguay (20). They all had the chance to exchange knowledge on the fundamentals of Crystallography and applications of single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction for the study of small molecules’ structures. In addition, participants experienced all the process of SC-XRD, from crystal selection and mounting to CIF preparation, with practice samples and data collected on their own crystals. The practical aspects of the school ran around the Bruker D8 VENTURE diffractometer installed in 2014 at Facultad de Química and APEX6 software. The students were provided with temporary licenses for Bruker APEX6 software and the Cambridge Structural Database to complete their structural analysis and learn about databases and structural analysis tools in the CSD Portfolio. Over a dozen very excited participants brought single crystals and were able to select and mount them, collect their own data, and solve and refine the structures by themselves, with the assistance of Tutors, Lecturers and fellow participants. 

The school program included 25 hours of lectures and practical sessions on fundamentals of crystallography taught in Spanish and 23 hours in English with assistance for requiring participants. During the practical sessions and data handling sessions, all Lecturers were available for discussion. The intense program included a confraternization evening at a local brewery held on Wednesday.