Why learn crystallography

In particular, crystallography, the branch of mineralogy that deals with the formation and properties of crystals, plays a huge role in our lives. This is because knowledge of crystals and their properties, and the technology that comes from them, are fundamental to electronics, and to modern living.Crystallography is a robust analytical technique that has been used in a variety of fields such as life sciences, geology, and materials science. It has been used to reveal the structure of viruses, proteins, nucleic acids, gemstones, and industrially important substances. It remains one of the gold standards of analytical chemistry.It is the fastest, least expensive and most successful method in structural biology — no single experimental technique produces more-detailed data about a macromolecule. The atomic structures resulting from X-ray crystallography are crucial for understanding the biochemical and biophysical roles of a macromolecule in cellular function and disease.