Frontiers in Molecular Structure Determination – News from the Crystalline Sponge Method

This comprehensive workshop will provide both theoretical foundations and practical applications of the crystalline sponge method, a groundbreaking technique that enables comprehensive single crystal structure determination of compounds traditionally difficult to analyze due to insufficient crystallinity or limited sample quantities. After a refresher on the crystalline sponge method the workshop will focus on latest advances in the technology overcoming traditional limitations in the field.

Date: May 19th and 20th, 2025
Meeting starts: 12:00h (on 19th)
Meeting ends: 13:30h (on 20th)
Location: Bruker AXS SE. Oestl. Rheinbrueckenstr. 49. 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany

Attendance is Free of Charge. Seats will be limited. Please register to secure your space. 

We look forward to welcoming you to this innovative workshop that will expand your analytical capabilities and advance your research.

Can’t make it in-person?

The sessions on Monday will be life broadcasted via TEAMS. Please, register here your virtual participation.

Day 1: Theoretical Sessions (in-person or online)

• Origins and fundamental principles of the crystalline sponge method
• Limitations of conventional crystalline sponge method
• TEKMOF's innovative improvements in crystalline sponge method
• Case studies demonstrating successful structural determination of:
      -    Highly flexible molecules
      -    Polar molecules & alkaloids
      -    Pushing frontiers in molecular weight

Evening of Day 1:

• Networking dinner with speakers and participants

Day 2: Practical Sessions (in-person only)

• Overview on dedicated solutions for sponge-based single crystal structure determination
• Hands-on experience of the crystalline sponge method 
• Direct experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation

The detailed agenda is available here:

Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for:

• Researchers working in pharmaceuticals, chemistry, materials, food, natural products, and metabolites with demand for comprehensive 3d molecular structure determination
• Service crystallographers and analytical chemists struggling with crystallization of samples from the fields above
• Users of the crystalline sponge method who abandoned the technique due to yet unsatisfactory results but are lacking alternatives

The workshop addresses researchers from both academia and industry. Please, feel free to forward this invitation to your colleagues, who also might benefit from attending this workshop.

Why should you attend?

The crystalline sponge method represents a revolutionary approach for structure determination (including absolute structure) of compounds that are challenging to crystallize by established methods. Whether you are working with pharmaceutical compounds, natural products, or metabolites, this workshop will provide you with:

• Fundamental knowledge of the crystalline sponge method principles and applications
• Critical insights into molecular structure determination enabled by the latest crystalline sponge technology
• Hands-on experience with cutting-edge diffraction equipment 
• Networking opportunities with experts and peers in the field

Prof Dr. Masaki Kawano is Professor at the Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Science Tokyo, and Co-founder of TEKMOF, the company developing the next generation Crystalline Sponge method. After completing his PhD in Chemistry at Waseda University, he spent three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2004, he became Associate Professor of the University of Tokyo. After that, he was appointed at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea. His research focuses on the synthesis of porous network complexes with various functionalities and the understanding of structure-function relationships based on their crystal structures. Currently, he is Professor at Institute of Science Tokyo and Chief Scientific Officer at TEKMOF.

Dr. Chiaki Tsuboi is CEO of TEKMOF. He earned his PhD in applied physics and analytical chemistry. After completing his doctorate, he worked as an analytical chemist at Asahi Kasei Pharma, focusing on the crystallography of small and medium-sized molecules. During this period, he began collaborative research on the molecular structure determination method using porous network materials, together with Prof. Kawano. After a period at Corundum Systems Biology, a microbiome-focused venture capital firm, he co-founded TEKMOF with Prof. Kawano then in 2024.