DECTRIS’ Impressions from IUCr 2023

A 5-minute read

Let’s look back on IUCr 2023, the 26^th congress and general assembly of the International Union of Crystallography, which we attended not too long ago in Melbourne, Australia. Among the highlights were DECTRIS’ PILATUS4 launch, an Exhibition and Scientific Contributions, a DECTRIS Party, and lots of fun times!

DECTRIS’ PILATUS4 Launch 

We launched the next generation of our famous photon-counting pixel detector, which offers an unprecedented combination of speed and a large active area. Say hello to DECTRIS PILATUS4! 

More than 150 attendees joined us and learned about the history of DECTRIS, the evolution of our renowned PILATUS detectors, and the key advantages and benefits of PILATUS4. Our two guest speakers talked about their hands-on experience with PILATUS4, from experiments at the synchrotron (Dr. Stefano Checchia, ID15A ESRF) to tests in the laboratory (Dr. Laura C. Folkers, STOE). 

Did you miss our launch event? Don’t worry; you can watch the recording here.

Exhibition and Scientific Contributions

1,788 participants from all around the world gathered to share their expertise in Crystallography. There were 120 Microsymposiums, 20 Workshops, and 5 Satellite Events with a variety of fascinating topics to pick from. 

Time-resolved synchrotron PXRD, advanced detector and data pipeline design, crystal structures, 4th-generation light with fast X-ray detectors, and DECTRIS detectors for Electron Diffraction were all topics covered by the DECTRIS team. Over 40 exhibitors presented themselves, and we were delighted to meet our customers, partners, and friends for many engaging discussions and chats. 

DECTRIS Party

An IUCr conference would not be complete without our legendary party! This time, it was a “Melbourne Laneway”-themed party at the State Library Victoria. 

Our guests were entertained by huxleys in costumes, living “statues”, magicians, and a graffiti artist as they roamed the laneway. Of course, our many culinary food stations, a gelato cart, and a Victorian gin station were instant crowd-pleasers. Once the dance floor was opened and the DJ took the stage, the excitement was unstoppable! Was it the real Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams who inspired the crowd to go wild? It hardly matters, so long as everyone was dancing with a high frame rate… eh, we mean heart rate! 

We hope you enjoyed this conference! Let’s meet at the next one, which will be held in Calgary, Canada from August 11-18, 2026. 

Make sure to take a moment to explore our new PILATUS4 product pages and watch the recording of the launch event!