ELDICO Scientific AG, a technology company dedicated to advancing electron diffraction for structural analysis, today announced the introduction of the ELDICO ED-1 electron diffractometer by Crystal Pharmatech, along with the continued expansion of the strategic collaboration between the two companies.
The ELDICO ED-1. Image Credit: ELDICO Scientific AG
Upon installation at Crystal Pharmatech's Suzhou, China site, Crystal Pharmatech will become the first company in both China and the Asia-Pacific region to deploy a dedicated MicroED (Microcrystal Electron Diffraction) platform purpose-built for industrial applications. Beyond acquisition, the collaboration aims to advance the integration of MicroED into routine solid-state workflows, transforming a historically specialized technique into a scalable, high-throughput platform for pharmaceutical development.
This milestone represents a significant step forward in expanding the industrial adoption of next-generation solid-state characterization technologies and enabling faster, more reliable, and structurally informed insights for global drug development programs.
Unlike conventional approaches that rely on adapted transmission electron microscopes (TEMs), the ELDICO ED-1 is the world's first dedicated electron diffractometer, purpose-built to determine crystal structures directly from sub-micron crystalline powders for small-molecule compounds.
Designed for real-world pharmaceutical development, the ED-1 supports automated, 24/7 operation with streamlined data acquisition and high reproducibility. This transforms MicroED from a specialized, expert-dependent technique into a scalable, high-throughput analytical platform suitable for routine industrial workflows.
Through this collaboration, Crystal Pharmatech will further strengthen its capabilities in:
- Direct determination of crystal structures, chirality, and absolute configuration from sub-micron crystalline powders, including complex polymorphic mixtures and low-crystallinity materials
- Comprehensive polymorph/salt/cocrystal screening and solid-form selection through full polymorphic landscape mapping and structural elucidation of all identified forms (anhydrous, hydrates, and solvates)
- Ultra-sensitive detection and qualification of trace polymorphic impurities at the single-particle level in drug products
- High-resolution characterization of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) to confirm the absence of residual crystallinity in drug-polymer systems
- Accelerated preformulation, formulation, and CMC development enabled by rapid, structure-driven decision-making
Crystal Pharmatech is an ideal partner to bring MicroED into industrial practice. Their deep expertise in solid-state science and strong track record in supporting global pharmaceutical development uniquely position them to unlock the full potential of the ED-1 platform."
James Berwick, CEO, ELDICO Scientific AG
"Integrating the ELDICO ED-1 into our platform represents a major step toward making MicroED a routine tool in pharmaceutical development," said Alex Chen, Co-founder, Chairman & CEO of Crystal Pharmatech. "As the first company in China and the Asia-Pacific region to deploy this dedicated technology, we are advancing our commitment to delivering next-generation, industrialized solid-state solutions to global partners. A long-standing aspiration in solid-state science - to determine the crystal structure of every polymorph - is now becoming increasingly achievable. Leveraging our deep expertise in crystallography and solid-state research, we will integrate the ED-1 into routine polymorph, salt, and cocrystal screening workflows, with the goal of elucidating the structure of every form identified."
The collaboration builds on an established partnership between Crystal Pharmatech and ELDICO Scientific AG, particularly in solid-state research and advanced crystallography applications.
With this milestone, ELDICO Scientific AG continues to expand the adoption of dedicated electron diffraction technologies, reinforcing its role in enabling industrial-scale MicroED applications across the pharmaceutical, chemical, and materials science industries.