800,000. A respectable number of Twitter followers for a pop star. An outstanding salary (anyone hiring?). A major scientific achievement. On October 20, 2015, the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) announced the entry of the 800,000th crystal structure (Figure 1) into the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). The comprehensive database allows researchers to share data associated […]

800,000. A respectable number of Twitter followers for a pop star. An outstanding salary (anyone hiring?). A major scientific achievement.

On October 20, 2015, the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) announced the entry of the 800,000th crystal structure (Figure 1) into the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). The comprehensive database allows researchers to share data associated with crystal structures of small molecules, enabling comparison of space groups, bond distances, and more through a user-friendly search feature.

AXL-CG-Lucky-800000-TUWMOP_400-W
AXL-CG-Lucky-800000-TUWMOP_400-W

Figure 1. 800,000th CSD entry, refcode TUWMOP

The entry milestone belongs to a metal organic copper structure published by Pilar Amo-Ochoa and colleagues in Crystal Growth & Design (CG&D). CG&D disseminates knowledge among scientists and engineers working in the fields of crystal growth and crystal engineering. Of the now more than 800,000 entries in the CSD, over 16,500 structures were first published in CG&D.

In fact, CG&D can claim another landmark number: the 200,000th entry was published by CG&D Editor-in-Chief Robin Rogers in 1998 (Figure 2).

AXL-CG-Lucky-800000-VAVFAZ_2_400-W
AXL-CG-Lucky-800000-VAVFAZ_2_400-W

Figure 2. 200,000th CSD entry, refcode VAVFAZ

Says Rogers, “I have always been a big fan of the power of the CSD and what it brings to the scientific community, and indeed was very pleased when my own structure was celebrated. I will continue to work for seamless cooperation between our authors, reviewers, and readers and the invaluable services provided by the CCDC.”

Maybe CG&D should aim for lucky number 1,000,000 next?

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