Crystal Pharmatech, a science-driven CRO/CDMO specializing in solid-state research, preformulation studies, and formulation development and manufacturing for small-molecule drugs, today announced that installation of the ELDICO ED-1 electron diffractometer at its Suzhou, China R&D center is complete. The instrument, the first ELDICO ED-1 installed in the Asia-Pacific region, is now operational, and MicroED services on the ED-1 are open to clients worldwide.
Eldico ED-1. Image Credit: ELDICO Scientific AG
Crystal Pharmatech launched MicroED services in 2021, using a cryo-electron microscope (cryo-EM) for data collection. The ED-1 now adds a dedicated, automated platform in the company’s own laboratory:
- Built for diffraction. The ED-1 is designed specifically to collect electron diffraction data from small-molecule crystals, with a horizontal beam path, a 5-axis goniometer, and a DECTRIS QUADRO hybrid pixel detector
- Automated. Automated calibration and data processing, and support for unattended operation, allow more crystals and more forms to be measured in less time
- In-house. The instrument sits beside Crystal Pharmatech’s screening and crystallization teams, making MicroED a routine step in solid-form screening and selection
Working with an ELDICO Scientific AG team on site, Crystal Pharmatech had the instrument running and collecting its first diffraction data within three days of installation. The ED-1 is housed on the first floor of the company’s Crystal Building, in a room originally designed as a livestream studio. With MicroED inside, the sign at its entrance, “Crystal Live”, takes on a new meaning: bringing crystals to life by revealing their structures. Clients and partners visiting the Crystal Campus in Suzhou are welcome to see the instrument in operation.
Forms identified in a screen can now be taken directly to a crystal structure, without growing large single crystals. Clients can request:
- Crystal structures and absolute configuration from sub-micron powders, from as little as 1 mg
- Identification of hydrates, solvates, salts, and cocrystals, and of individual phases in mixtures
- Structurally resolved polymorph landscapes to support form selection, patent and regulatory filings, and crystal structure prediction (CSP)
Standard results are delivered in one to two weeks. An expedited service delivers analysis and report in as little as 48 hours after samples and written approval are received. Projects are covered by Crystal Pharmatech’s No Structure, No Fee commitment under agreed terms.
“Five years after launching MicroED on a cryo-EM instrument, we now have a dedicated, automated electron diffractometer in our own laboratory,” said Dr. Alex Chen, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Crystal Pharmatech. “It was collecting data within three days of installation, and I can already see it becoming a workhorse for our solid-state research. Clients can now ask for the structure of each form a screen finds, quickly and on very little material.”
We’re pleased to see the ED-1 in service at Crystal Pharmatech. Their team brings extensive experience in solid form research, and the instrument’s automated operation makes it easier to include crystal structure determination in their everyday screening work. This is exactly how we intended the ED-1 to be used, helping scientists make informed decisions during pharmaceutical development."
Dr. James Berwick, CEO, ELDICO Scientific AG
See MicroED in Boston on November 19
Scientists in the Boston area can see MicroED in practice at Crystal Pharmatech’s Boston Symposium & Executive Networking Reception, “First Time Right,” on Thursday, November 19, 2026, 12:00–7:00 pm, at the Boston Marriott Cambridge, Kendall Square. MicroED features in three parts of the program:
- Talk: Gustavo Santiso-Quiñones, Ph.D., Co-founder of ELDICO Scientific AG, “Too Small for SCXRD, Too Complex for XRPD: 3D ED/MicroED for Sub-Micron Crystal Structure Determination”
- Poster: Crystal Pharmatech and ELDICO Scientific AG, “What Is the Probability of Electron Diffraction Success on Routine Polymorph Screening Isolates? A Systematic Benchmark Across All Solid-Form Categories”
- Poster: ELDICO Scientific AG, “(Automated) Electron Diffraction / MicroED: A New Tool for Pharmaceutical Solid-State Characterization”
The poster authors will be on hand during the networking break and throughout the reception.
Dr. Alex Chen, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Crystal Pharmatech, and Dr. James Berwick, CEO of ELDICO Scientific AG, will also attend and will be available to meet with interested attendees in person.
The program also includes talks on solid-form selection, crystal structure prediction, and formulation for challenging molecules, with speakers from Biosimulytics, Accent Therapeutics, and Arvinas, and a panel with experts from Novartis, Spolia Therapeutics, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and EyePoint. Attendance is free for qualified biotech and pharma R&D professionals, and places are limited.
Register for the Boston Symposium: https://www.crystalpharmatech.com/boston-symposium--executive-networking-reception.html
The ED-1 was announced in April 2026 as part of an expanded collaboration between Crystal Pharmatech and ELDICO Scientific AG: https://www.crystalpharmatech.com/crystal-pharmatech-becomes-first-company-in-asia-pacific-to-deploy-dedicated-microed-platform-through-strategic-collaboration-with-eldico-scientific.html