Info
The IUCr is the international scientific union governing crystallography. Founded 1947, headquartered in Chester, UK. Adheres to the International Science Council (ISC). Publishes primary research journals (Acta Crystallographica Sections A-F, IUCrJ, J Appl Cryst, J Synchrotron Radiation). Publishes International Tables for Crystallography. Awards the Ewald Prize. Holds a triennial Congress and General Assembly; next is IUCr 2026 in Calgary, Canada (August 11-18, 2026).
US governance upheaval
NSF ended centralized funding for the US National Committee for Crystallography (USNC/Cr) through NAS. A new American Union of Crystallography (AUC) was incorporated April 2024 and granted ad interim adhering body status by IUCr effective January 1, 2026. This is a significant governance shift relevant to the landscape.
Executive Committee (current term, pre-2026 election)
| Name | Role | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Altomare | EC member | Institute of Crystallography - CNR, Bari, Italy |
| Susan Bourne | EC member | University of Cape Town, South Africa |
| M.C. Nonato | EC member | University of Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Atsushi Nakagawa | EC member | Osaka University, Japan |
| Thomas Proffen | EC member | Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA |
| Manfred Weiss | EC member | Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Germany |
Representatives on wwPDB Advisory Committee
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Jennifer L. Martin | IUCr Representative |
| Charles Schwieters | ISMAR Representative |
AsCA (Asian Crystallographic Association)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Genji Kurisu | Current AsCA President |
Commissions (selected, relevant to DiffUSE)
- Commission on Biological Macromolecules
- Commission on Crystallographic Computing
- Commission on Crystallographic Data
- Commission on Small-Angle Scattering
- Commission on Synchrotron and XFEL Radiation
Funding
- Member state subscriptions (adhering bodies)
- Journal publishing revenue (Acta Cryst, IUCrJ, etc.)
- Congress registration fees
Key Relationships
- Governs CIF/mmCIF data standards (directly connects to History of mmcif working group and mmCIF)
- Jennifer L. Martin represents IUCr on wwPDB Advisory Committee
- Genji Kurisu (PDBj PI) is AsCA President — connects IUCr to wwPDB Asian governance
- SASBDB recognized by IUCr Commission as official SAS deposition site
- IUCr coordinates with NIAC on CIF/NeXus compatibility (Herbert Bernstein bridges both)
- Journals publish key structural biology methods papers (Acta Cryst D is the venue for CCP4, PHENIX, DIALS papers)
DiffUSE relevance
IUCr’s Commission on Crystallographic Data and the CIF/mmCIF dictionary governance are directly relevant to DiffUSE’s data standards work. Any new data format or application definition for diffuse scattering would need to engage with IUCr processes.
Key Reference
IUCr website: https://www.iucr.org