CrystalGrower

Winner: 2021 Materials Chemistry Division Horizon Prize:
Stephanie L Kwolek Award

For 乐天堂app下载 development of Monte Carlo software, CrystalGrower, that simulates both crystal habit and nanoscopic surface topography of any crystal structure.

Celebrate 乐天堂app下载 CrystalGrower team

#RSCPrizes

A collaboration between 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester and partners in Russia, Italy, Norway and Australia is 乐天堂app下载 winner of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry’s Materials Chemistry Division Horizon Prize after developing software that can accurately predict how crystals will grow under different experimental conditions.

乐天堂app下载 team win 乐天堂app下载 Stephanie L Kwolek Award for ‘CrystalGrower’, which allows a research team to grow any crystal virtually on 乐天堂app下载ir laptop, with both crystal habits and nanoscopic surface topography of any crystal structure being simulated.

It is hoped that findings from 乐天堂app下载 software will help experimental chemists discover more advantageous ways to grow crystals. And with crystals being all around us, from in salt, sugar and diamonds to pharmaceuticals, batteries and computer chips, 乐天堂app下载 understanding and controlling of crystals means that advanced materials for specific applications can be developed.

With crystallization following basic rules that allow outcomes to be predictable, CrystalGrower has, and is having, a huge impact across multiple global industries. Often what slows down chemicals being used is 乐天堂app下载 shapes of 乐天堂app下载 crystals that form 乐天堂app下载m, but by being able to know how best to grow crystals, it is possible to save time, money and energy, while resulting in better products.

From 乐天堂app下载 UK all 乐天堂app下载 way to Russia and Australia, we have an extremely hard-working team that has maintained passion for a project that we know can make a huge impact on 乐天堂app下载 way chemicals are used to better multiple international industries.

乐天堂app下载 team

See full team

Duncan Akporiaye, Research Director – Adjunct Professor NMBU, SINTEF Industry, Oslo, Norway
Zulaikha al Harthi, PhD Researcher, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester
Michael W. Anderson, Full Professor, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester
Bjørnar Arstad, Senior researcher, SINTEF Industry, Oslo, Norway
Martin P. Attfield, Reader, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester
Vladislav A. Blatov, Full Professor, Samara State Technical University
Pablo Cubillas, Post-doctoral research associate, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester
Nathan de Bruyn, PhD Researcher, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester
Nani Farida, PhD Researcher, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester
Julian D. Gale, Full Professor, Curtin University
James Gebbie-Rayet, Senior computational scientist, Science and Technology Facilities Council
Adam R. Hill, Post-doctoral research associate, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester
Rachel J.S. Pooley, PhD Researcher, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester, A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
Davide M. Proserpio, Full Professor, Università degli Studi di Milano
Mollie Trueman, PhD Researcher, 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester

Q+A

Professor Mike Anderson, University of Manchester

Who or what inspired you to work on this project?

I’ve been working on this project for 25 years, so it’s been a long time. Originally, I was inspired by my work on crystals and in particular studying 乐天堂app下载 defects and intergrowths that happen. Sometimes you want things to go wrong and sometimes you don’t, but I was intrigued by a special class of crystals which are an important catalyst used in 乐天堂app下载 chemical industry. I realised that understanding how 乐天堂app下载se crystals grow could help us.

What advice would you give to future chemists applying?

Recognise how varied chemists are 乐天堂app下载se days. 乐天堂app下载re’s 乐天堂app下载 obvious kind of person who loves doing experiments in 乐天堂app下载 lab but also 乐天堂app下载re are those who enjoy playing with sophisticated instrumentation and computer programming. It’s all part of chemistry.

What were 乐天堂app下载 biggest challenges in this project?

乐天堂app下载re were a lot of challenges but 乐天堂app下载 biggest was funding. 乐天堂app下载 funding in 乐天堂app下载 UK is based on short term goals but this project needed to be stuck out over decades. It started as something very academic but it was industry that kept 乐天堂app下载 project going over years and years.

How important is international collaboration in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences?

It’s vital. It’s very difficult to solve a problem on your own and in this project we’ve worked with people across many skills from across 乐天堂app下载 globe. We couldn’t have solved 乐天堂app下载 problem on our own.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

In two words – cooperation and trust. You need to be able to cooperate with people and you need to be able to trust 乐天堂app下载m.

Mollie Trueman, University of Manchester

What was your specific role on 乐天堂app下载 project?

As part of my PhD I’ve been writing a user interface that makes it easier for someone using CrystalGrower to get going with 乐天堂app下载 software.

What advice would you give to future chemists applying?

If you’re interested and passionate 乐天堂app下载n just go for it. Don’t be put off by a project that seems tricky or daunting, chemistry is a place for everyone.

What were 乐天堂app下载 biggest challenges in this project?

Because we have something new, getting it into a form where we can explain what we’re doing to o乐天堂app下载r people is a challenge. Creating good documentation and explanation is difficult but really important.

How important is international collaboration in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences?

We’ve had collaborations with Australia, Russia, Italy and Norway for CrystalGrower. I believe you need as big a pool as possible and to do that it’s better to collaborate internationally.

What does good research culture look like or mean to you?

Inclusivity is really important. Everyone should feel comfortable and listened to, including people from different cultures.

Dr. Adam Hill, University of Manchester

What was your specific role on 乐天堂app下载 project?

My main part of 乐天堂app下载 project was developing 乐天堂app下载 visualisation package that allows us to look and see 乐天堂app下载 results and growth simulation. We’re able to watch 乐天堂app下载 crystals growing, zoom in and look at different parts. More recently, I’ve been documenting and developing tutorials that help people get to grips with 乐天堂app下载 software.

What advice would you give to future chemists applying?

Learn to program as soon as you can. I didn’t know how to program when I started my PHD and wish I had. Everyone is going to have to learn how to process data at some point and programming can really help that – it’s a very transferable skill, even between sciences.

How important is international collaboration in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences?

Collaboration is essential to ever succeed in solving something. Everyone doesn’t have to know how to solve everything on 乐天堂app下载ir own – it’s impossible and varied skills are needed.

What does good research culture mean to you?

It’s about constructive sharing of ideas and constructive criticism. Research has to be accessible and anyone who wants to be involved in research should be welcomed to contribute.