Crystal Structure Analysis for Chemists and Biologists

Chemists and biochemists need to acquaint themselves with the general principles of crystal structure analysis. The language used is not overly technical and many examples are given. The authors illustrate the importance of crystallography by placing their method in context with other methods.

The fields of structural chemistry and biochemistry have blossomed in the last seventy years since X-ray diffraction was discovered in 1912. Dorothy Hodgkin, who obtained a Nobel Prize in 1965 for her X-ray diffraction work wrote 'a great advantage of X-ray analysis as a method of chemical structure analysis is its power to show some totally unexpected and surprising structure with, at the same time, complete certainty.' The results of all X-ray diffraction studies are used by chemists and buiochemists but these scientists need to be able to appreciate the significance and extent to which these results may be used. A number of books written for practicing crystallographers cover the theory and applications of X-ray diffraction, but few are of real practical use to non-specialists. In 'Crystal Structure Analysis for Biologists and Chemists', the general principles of crystal structure are presented in a highly readable way. The book of Glusker, who is internationally renowned, provides good coverage of theory, including data and understanding their significance.