Bayer: Science For A Better Life - research

Crystallography

Gems for research

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Dr. Hans-Christoph Weiss

Dr. Hans-Christoph Weiss from the Analytics Department of Currenta carefully inserts a tiny single crystal of an anticancer substance into a diffractometer. This machine passes X-rays through the dust-particle-sized crystal, thereby providing data for a three-dimensional computer model which can be used to determine the precise spatial form of the substance. Scientists use these techniques to obtain information such as how an active substance functions and how it could be optimized. Crystallography is therefore widely used by Bayer in the development of innovative drug products and crop protection agents. Most recently, work in this field has been concentrated on developing ways to optimize the crystallization process so that particularly pure active substances can be derived in as few work stages as possible.