12. Crystallography
in Spain
In the context of
this chapter, you will also be invited to visit these sections...
Crystallography is
one of the branches of Science whose importance has
been critical to the development of Chemistry around the
world. Its influence, which was spectacular in Spain during the last
third of the twentieth century, led (through many efforts) to the
establishment of several groups of crystallographers whose
relevance
is nowadays beyond any doubt. However, contrary to
what happened in
other
developed countries, Crystallography in Spain, and especially in
academic institutions, seems in general to remain an
unresolved
matter. This is probably due to the fact that it has erroneously been
considered as a minor technical issue, whose application and
interpretation is trivial.
No scientific discipline has so profoundly influenced the field of
structural Biochemistry as that of X-ray diffraction analysis when
applied to the crystals of macromolecules. It is among the most
prolific
techniques available for providing significant new data. In theory,
there is no limit in molecular size, and thus it includes, in
addition to proteins, the viruses, ribo- and deoxyribonucleic acids and
protein complexes. Its influence has also affected the development of
Biology and Biomedicine, leading to the so-called structural genomics.
The detailed knowledge of the structure of biological macromolecules
enables us not only to understand the relationship between structure
and
function, but also to make rational functional improvement proposals.
In contrast with the importance of these issues, the rather large
number of research groups in Spain (very competitive in Cellular and
Molecular Biology), and the lack of resources
dedicated to the few Spanish laboratories active in macromolecular
Crystallography becomes very apparent.
In an separate part of this chapter the reader will find a brief
historical outline on the initial development of
Crystallography in Spain.
Most crystallographers working in Spain are associated with the
Specialized Group for Crystallography and Crystal Growth (Grupo
Especializado de
Cristalografía y Crecimiento Cristalino, GE3C), a group associated with the Spanish Royal Society of
Chemistry. Similarly, European crystallographers are
associated with the European Crystallographic
Association, ECA.
Further, the Spanish
National Committee
of Crystallography is the Spanish association responsible for
coordinating the official Spanish representation to the International
Union of Crystallography,
IUCr.
There are some other Spanish associations related to Crystallography,
organized according to various radiation sources of interest in the
field:
Crystallographers
working in Spain had
the responsibility to organize the XXII
Congress and General
Assembly of the International
Union of Crystallography, IUCr, that was held in Madrid
(August 22-30, 2011). This type of
congress, held every three years in a different
country, had in Madrid over 2,800 worldwide participants and
implied an explicit recognition by
the IUCr of the "Spanish crystallography". The
event was officially supported by the IUCr,
the Spanish
Ministry of Science and Innovation,
the Spanish National Research Council
(CSIC), several Spanish
universities (especially Alcalá,
Complutense of Madrid, Autonomous of Madrid, UIMP, Oviedo, Cantabria and Barcelona). Special
mention has to be done to the support received by the BBVA Foundation (which
specifically supported the participation of the three
2009 Chemistry Nobel Laureates). AECID
and Metro-Madrid
helped to the participation of a large number of young researchers from
less developed countries. The "Madrid
Convention Bureau"
supported, in 2005, the preparation of the candidature of Spain to
organize this unique event. Crystallographers working in Spain and
specially those implied in the Local Organizing Commitee, appreciate
the suport obtained from all these organizations.
See
also the contents of this link.
The most relevant research groups located in Spain and using
Crystallography as a main research tool can be found below.
Nine of the
groups listed below made an association in the context of a joint
project
called The Factory
of Crystallization, a
collaborative project to create an integrated platform for
research and
services in crystallization and crystallography. The project was
thought as a setting to combine advanced research on
crystallization and
crystallography and service delivery in these fields to companies and
research groups in biomedical, pharmacological, biotechnological,
nanotechnological, natural or material sciences. The aim was that any
group extracting, synthesizing or, in general, developing a new
molecule or potentially interesting material could have access, with an
adequate level of confidentiality, to the knowledge and technology
needed for crystallization, diffraction data collection and
structure solution. The
project was funded with € 5.0 M by the former Spanish
Ministry of Education and Science (now Ministry
of Science and Innovation), as part of the
Consolider-Ingenio/2010 program.
The following information corresponds to a relatively splendid
stage
of Crystallography in Spain (during the first decade of the 21st
century). Unfortunately, with the passage of time the situation has
worsened, so many of the links shown below may no longer be
operational..
The list of groups shown below
may contain involuntary errors or
omissions. Groups who would like to be included here
should get in contact
through this link.
Select a region on the map
Andalusia
Cement
Science Group @ UMA
Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, E-29010 Málaga
Updated: May 2022
Division for X-ray Diffraction,
University of Cádiz
Campus
Universitario del Río San Pedro, E-11510
Puerto Real
General
Service Unit, Institute for Materials Science of Seville (CSIC-University
of Seville)
Americo Vespuccio 49, Isla de la Cartuja, E-41092 Sevilla
Group of
Coordination Chemistry and Structural Analysis, University of Granada
Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada
Group
of Organometallic Chemistry and Homogeneous Catalysis, Institute
of Chemical Reseach (CSIC-Universidad de
Sevilla)
Américo Vespucio
49, E-41092 Sevilla
Group
of Protein Structure,
Department of
Physical-Chemistry, Biochemistry and Inorganic Chemistry,
University of Almería
Edificio Científico Técnico de
Química, Ctra.
Sacramento, La Cañada de San Urbano, E-04120
Almería
Laboratory
of Crystallographic
Studies (LEC), CSIC-University of Granada
Edifício
Inst. López Neyra, Avenida
del Conocimiento s/n, PT
Ciencias de la Salud, E-18100
Armilla
X-ray
Diffraction Service, University of Málaga
Bulevar Louis
Pasteur 33 , Campus de Teatinos, Edificio SCAI, Planta 1, B1-04, E-29071 Málaga
Aragon
Institute
of Chemical Synthesis and Homogeneous Catalysis (iSQCH),
CSIC-University of Zaragoza
Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza
Department
of
Physics of Condensed Matter, CSIC-University of Zaragoza
Plaza de San Francisco s/n, E-50009 Zaragoza
Asturias
Department of
Physics, University of Oviedo
Julián Clavería 8, E-33006 Oviedo
Crystallography
and Mineralogy,
Department of Geology, University of Oviedo
Jesús
Arias de Velasco, E-33005 Oviedo
Synthesis,
Structure and Technological Application of Materials, Department of
Physical and Analytical Chemstry,
Faculty of Chemistry, University of Oviedo
Julián Clavería 8, E-33006 Oviedo
Cantabria
Group
of High Pressure and Spectroscopy, Faculty of Sciences, University of
Cantabria
Avda. de los Castros s/n, E-39005 Santander
Group
of Matter Magnetism, University of Cantabria
Avda. de los Castros s/n, E-39005 Santander
Go to the map
Canary
Islands
Group for X-Ray
Diffraction, Department of Physics, Univ. of La Laguna
Avda. Astrofisico Fco. Sanchez s/n E-38204 La Laguna (Tenerife)
Updated: May 2022
Laboratory of Materials
for Chemical Analysis (MAT4LL), Department of Chemistry,
Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of La Laguna
Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, E-38200
La Laguna (Islas Canarias)
Updated: May 2022
Laboratory
of
X-Rays and Molecular Materials, Department of Fundamental
Physics II, University of La Laguna
Avda Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n,
E-38204 La Laguna
Some other groups
(no web link) from the Dept.
of Fundamental Physics II,
making use of the Integrated Service
for X-Ray Diffraction, University of La Laguna
Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, E-38206
La Laguna
Castile and León
Department
of Physics of the Condensed Matter, Crystallography and
Mineralogy, University of Valladolid
E-47002 Valladolid
Structural Biology Group,
Cancer Research Center, CSIC-University of Salamanca
Campus Miguel de Unamumo, E-37007 Salamanca
X-ray
Diffraction Service,
University of Burgos
Plaza de Misael Bañuelos s/n, E-09001 Burgos
X-ray Diffraction
Service, University of Salamanca
Plaza de la Merced s/n,
E-37008 Salamanca
Catalonia
Department
of Crystallography, Institute of Material Sciences of Barcelona, CSIC
Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona,
E-08193 Bellaterra
Department of
Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalonia
Escola d'Enginyeria
Barcelona Est, Campus Diagonal Besos, Building (EEBE) I 2.21, c/ Eduard
Maristany 10-14, E-08019 Barcelona
Department of Crystallography,
Mineralogy and Mineral Deposits, Faculty of Geology, University of
Barcelona
c/ Martí i Franqués s/n, E-08028-Barcelona
Department
of Structural Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona, CSIC
Parque Científico de Barcelona, Baldiri i Reixach 15-21,
E-08028 Barcelona
Group
for Physics and Crystallography of Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemistry,
University Rovira i Virgili
Marcel.li Domingo s/n, Campus Sescelades, E-43007 Tarragona
Unit for
X-ray Diffraction, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Campus de la
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona,
E-08193 Bellaterra
X-ray
Diffraction Unit, Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia
Avgda. Països Catalans 16, E-43007-Tarragona
Extremadura
Coordination
Chemistry, Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Univ. of
Extremadura
Av. de Elvas s/n, E-06006. Badajoz
Updated: May 2022
Go to the map
Galicia
Metallosupramolecular
Chemistry Group (QI5)
Universidad de Vigo,
Facultad de Química, E-36310 Vigo
Research
Group on Molecular
and Structural Chemistry (GIQIMO), University of Santiago de
Compostela
Campus Universitario Sur, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela
Structural
Analysis Unit, Service for Research Support, University of A
Coruña
E-15001 A Coruña
Support
Center for Science and Technology, University of Vigo
Facultad de Química, E-36310 Vigo
X-ray
Unit, University of Santiago de Compostela
Edificio CACTUS, Campus Universitario Sur s/n, E-15782 Santiago de
Compostela
La
Rioja
Central X-ray
Diffraction Unit (no web site). Somehow dependent from the Department of
Chemistry, University of La Rioja
Avda. de La Paz 93, E-26006 Logroño
Madrid
Crystal
Growth Laboratory, Department of Material Physics, Faculty of Sciences,
Autonomous
University of Madrid
Campus de
Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid
Crystallography
Group of the UAH, Department of Inorganic Chemistry,
University of
Alcalá de Henares (UAH)
Campus Universitario, E-28871 Alcalá de Henares
Department
of Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional a
Distancia
(UNED)
Senda del Rey 9, E-28080 Madrid
Department of
Crystallography and Mineralogy, Faculty of Geological Sciences,
University
Complutense of Madrid
José Antonio
Novais 2, E-28040 Madrid
Department of
Crystallography and Structural Biology, Institute of
Physical-Chemistry "Blas Cabrera", CSIC
Serrano 119, E-28006 Madrid
Some group (with no
web link) at the Department
of Inorganic Chemistry I, University Complutense of Madrid
Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid
Department
of Macromolecular Structures, National Center for Biotechnology, CSIC
Darwin 3, Campus de Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid
Structural
biology of viral fibres
Cell-Cell
and Virus-Cell Interactions
Updated: May 2022
Group
of Structural Biology of Proteins, Centre
for Biological Research, CSIC
Ramiro de Maeztu 9, E-28040 Madrid
Institute of
Material Sciences of Madrid, CSIC
Cantoblanco, Ctra. de Colmenar Km. 15, E-28049 Madrid
Department
of Energy, Environment and Sustainable Technologies
Department
of New Architectures in Materials Chemistry
National
Center for Cancer
Research, CNIO
Melchor
Fernández Almagro 3, E-28029
Madrid
Cell
Signalling and Adhesion Group
Protein
Crystallography Unit Updated:
May 2022
Structural
Bases of Genome Integrity Group
Single
Crystal Unit, Faculty of Chemistry, University
Complutense of Madrid
Edificio C (Aulario), Planta Sótano, Ciudad Universitaria,
E-28040 Madrid
Murcia
Department of Mining,
Geological and Cartographic Engineering, Area of Chemistry,
Technical University of Cartagena
Campus Muralla del Mar, E-30202 Cartagena
Navarre
Group
of Physical Properties and Applications of Materials, Public University
of Navarre
Edificio Departamental de los Acebos, Campus
Arrosadía, E-31006 Pamplona
Go to the map
The
autonomous city of Ceuta
No data available
The
autonomous city of Melilla
No data available
The
Basque Country
Biophysics
Unit, CSIC-University of the Basque Country
Campus de Leioa,
E-48940 Leioa
Department
of Mineralogy and Petrology, Faculty of Science and Technilogy,
University of the Basque Country
Campus de Leioa,
E-48940 Leioa
Department of Inorganic
Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque
Country
Campus de Leioa, E-48940 Leioa
Group
of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, Faculty of Science and Tecnology,
University of the Basque Country
Campus de Leioa, E-48940 Leioa
Group of
Structural and Dynamical Properties of Solids, Faculty of Science and
Technology, Unversity of the Basque Country
Campus de Leioa, E-48940 Leioa
Structural
Biology Unit, CIC bioGUNE
Ed. 801 A, Parque Tecnológico de Vizcaya, E-48160 Derio
X-ray
Diffraction Service of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU),
Faculty of Science and Technology
Bº
Sarriena, s/n E-48940 Leioa (Bizkaia)
Updated: May 2022
Go to the map
Valencia
Community
Department of Geology,
University of Valencia
Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot
Some group (with no
web link) at the Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Valencia
Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot
Some group (with no
web link) at the Department
of Organic
Chemistry, University of Valencia
Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot
Some group (with no
web link) at the Department of
Inorganic and Organic Chemistry,
University Jaume I
Campus del Riu Sec, E-12071 Castellón de la Plana
Institute for
Biomedicine of Valencia, CSIC
Jaime Roig 11, E-46010 Valencia
Unit
for Structural
Enzymopathology
Unit
for
Macromolecular Crystallography
Unit
for Signal
Transduction
Institute of Chemical
Technology (ITQ, UPV-CSIC)
Av. de los Naranjos s/n, 46022-Valencia
Updated: may 2022
Molecular
Materials Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Physics and
Analytics, University Jaume I
Campus del Riu Sec, E-12071 Castellón de la Plana
Protein
Research in Biotechnology, University Institute of Biotechnology and
Biomedicine (Biotecmed)
Dr. Moliner 50, Facultad de
Biológicas, Edificio A,
E-46100 Burjassot
Updated: May 2022