A crystallographer is a type of scientist who practices

crystallography Crystallography is the branch of science devoted to the study of molecular and crystalline structure and properties. The word ''crystallography'' is derived from the Ancient Greek word (; "clear ice, rock-crystal"), and (; "to write"). In J ...

, in other words, who studies

crystals A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macrosc ...

Career paths

The work of crystallographers spans several

academic disciplines An academic discipline or academic field is a subdivision of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. Disciplines are defined (in part) and recognized by the academic journals in which research is published, a ...

, including the

life sciences This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms, plants, and animals including human beings. This science is one of the two major branches of natural science, ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

, and

materials science Materials science is an interdisciplinary field of researching and discovering materials. Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries. The intellectual origins of materials sci ...

. They may work in research and manufacturing, which could include growing crystals for use in

computer chips An integrated circuit (IC), also known as a microchip or simply chip, is a set of electronic circuits, consisting of various electronic components (such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors) and their interconnections. These components a ...

solar cells A solar cell, also known as a photovoltaic cell (PV cell), is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect.

, or

medications Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to medical diagnosis, diagnose, cure, treat, or preventive medicine, prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmaco ...

. Within the life sciences, they may crystallize biological materials (such as

proteins Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, re ...

viruses A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are found in almo ...

) or drugs. They may also come in hand in

forensic science Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...

. They may also study materials using

materials simulation Computational materials science and engineering uses modeling, simulation, theory, and informatics to understand materials. The main goals include discovering new materials, determining material behavior and mechanisms, explaining experiments, a ...

s. Most working crystallographers have a graduate degree. There are very few opportunities for those with a bachelor's degree or

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

By country

Germany

In 2013, one working group, the

Young Crystallographers Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

, was established within the

German Crystallographic Society The German Crystallographic Society (''Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kristallographie'', or DGK in German) is a non-profit organization based in Berlin. As a voluntary association of scientists working in crystallography or interested in crystallogra ...

(DGK). As of 2024, the Young Crystallographers have about 250 members. The working group also awards the annual

Lieselotte Templeton Prize Lieselotte is a German feminine given name. It is derived from a combination of the names Lise, a diminutive form of Elisabeth, and Lotte, a diminutive of Charlotte. Liselotte is a spelling variant also in regular use in countries such as Swed ...

, named after the German-American scientist

Lieselotte Templeton Lieselotte "Lilo" Templeton ( Kamm, 4 August 1918 in Breslau – 10 October 2009 in Berkeley, California) was a German-born American crystallographer. She received the Patterson Award of the American Crystallographic Association together with he ...

South Africa

Out of 78 South African crystallographers profiled in 2001/2, each scientist has 2.6 contacts on average within

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and 2.0 contacts on average internationally. The majority of these scientists worked in

Gauteng Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana languages, Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts f ...

United States

The U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the government of the United States, U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics, labor economics and ...

groups crystallographers with

geoscientists A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

for statistical purposes. However, as of the 2010s, the largest demand for crystallographers actually comes from the medical and life sciences.

References

{{Career-stub * Crystallography