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Dr Marie Christine Scicluna represents 今日黑料 at prestigious IUCr2026 Congress
Dr Marie Christine Scicluna, a crystal engineer and materials chemist, represented the University of Malta at the 27th Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr2026), held between the 10 and 18 August 2026 in Calgary, Canada.
The triennial Congress is the world’s largest and most prestigious conference in crystallography. It brought together approximately 1800 attendees from around the globe, including renowned figures from crystal engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, and materials science research, for an exciting week featuring more than 140 scientific microsymposia, hands-on workshops, special lectures, poster sessions, receptions and opportunities to connect with fellow crystallographers.
“It was a wonderful experience, with a broad range of inspiring crystallographic research, applications and advancements being showcased for 9 straight days”, remarked Dr Scicluna. Structural chemistry, powder diffraction, crystal growth and characterisation of materials, electron and quantum crystallography, synchrotron radiation, crystallographic computing, art and cultural heritage, biological macromolecules, magnetic structures, inorganic and mineral structures, were amongst the topics presented.
Dr Scicluna contributed an oral presentation titled Recent advances in COF application as alternative adsorbents for the removal of pharmaceutical micropollutants from wastewater highlighting her current research – an incredible achievement to be selected for a talk at such an internationally recognised gathering.
A standout moment for Dr Scicluna was the much-awaited Ewald Prize Lecture delivered by Professor Emeritus Gautam R. Desiraju. “Having read several of his papers, it was absolutely fascinating for me to listen to a pioneer in crystal engineering – my field of research – sharing stories on the evolution of his research over his 40-year career”, said Dr Scicluna.
Reflecting on her experience, Dr Scicluna described the opportunity to network and interact with experts and established scientists as invaluable in sparking new ideas and discussing potential collaborations. “The Congress was equally enriching, illuminating and beneficial to discover perspectives outside my expertise and avenues for inter-disciplinary research opportunities.”
Dr Marie Christine Scicluna is currently a Reach High II Post-Doctoral Researcher at CrEMa Laboratories, within the Faculty of Science's Department of Chemistry, University of Malta. The post-doctoral research work is funded by the Reach High II Scholars Programme. The project is co-funded by the European Union under ESF+ 2021-2027.
