Highlights & Impressions from IUCr 2026

Fresh back from Calgary, Canada, the DECTRIS team is reflecting on an incredible week at the 27th congress of the International Union of Crystallography. From unveiling our first charge-integrating detector to hosting live software demos, sharing cutting-edge research, and throwing our signature DECTRIS party, IUCr 2026 was packed with unforgettable moments.

DECTRIS JUNGFRAU Launch

At our lunchtime seminar, we officially launched our first charge-integrating detector: the DECTRIS JUNGFRAU. Built specifically to handle the extreme flux of 4th-generation synchrotrons, it captures full signals without saturating—bringing experiments previously only conceivable at FELs straight to synchrotron beamlines. Attendees heard about hands-on experience from the very first scientists to use the detector.

A big thank you to our guest speakers Ashwin Chari, head of the Structural Biochemistry and Mechanisms research group at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, and Daniele de Sanctis, Scientist in charge of beamline ID29 SMX at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, for sharing their insights with the DECTRIS JUNGFRAU.

Missed the launch event? Don’t worry; you can watch the recording and catch up on the details here.

Exhibition, D.LAB & Scientific Contributions

Booth #22 was busy all week! Visitors stopped by for Swiss chocolates, fresh coffee, and live demos of DECTRIS D.LAB—our unified solution for lab data, tools, compute, and analyses. Conference attendees also put their skills to the test in The Rocky Lab Challenge, competing to take home one of five iPads.

Our team actively shaped the scientific program through several workshops, posters, and microsymposia:

• Workshops & Open Data: Ludmila Leroy organized Workshop 009 on reproducibility, while Oliver Harder, Camilla Larsen, and Fabian Eisenstein showcased cloud-accelerated, traceable processing for XDS, CryoEM, and CryoET.

• Detector Innovation: Marcus Müller introduced DECTRIS POLLUX for lab X-ray applications, Stefan Brandstetter highlighted detector advancements for 4th-generation sources and EM, and Sascha Grimm presented soft X-ray ptychography.

• Advanced Applications: Hans Gildenast shared CdTe sensor benefits for coordination chemistry, Tilman Donath presented high-pressure/temperature PILATUS4 CdTe studies, and Leonard Chavas covered de novo design of left-handed β⍺β-motifs.

DECTRIS PARTY

An IUCr conference wouldn’t be complete without our legendary party! This year, we brought the spirit of Calgary to The Big Four Roadhouse for an unforgettable cowboy-themed night, where we also celebrated 20 years of DECTRIS in style! 

Guests kicked off the evening with bubbly welcome drinks before diving into custom giveaways from on-site leathersmiths and testing their balance on the mechanical bull. Professional line dancers led a tutorial that had everyone stepping in sync, followed by high-energy sets from a live band and a late-night DJ party. With delicious food stations, a special DECTRIS 20 cake, late-night snacks, and non-stop dancing, the energy stayed high until midnight!

Thank you to everyone who dropped by our booth, joined our seminar, or danced the night away with us. We hope you enjoyed Calgary as much as we did!

Explore our new DECTRIS JUNGFRAU product page, check out the seminar recording, and we’ll see you at the next conference in Berlin 2029!