Plenary Lecture

Qi Jiang, Senior Principal Scientist
Bristol Myers Squibb

Deciphering Imatinib Multicomponent Crystals: Insights from X-Ray Crystallography and Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy
Time: 11:05 a.m.

The critical role of crystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in drug development is widely explored, with particular emphasis on stability, solubility, and the feasibility of drug formulation and manufacturing. We explored polymorphism in APIs and the formation of multicomponent crystals, including salt and cocrystal screening, underscoring the significance of regulatory and intellectual property considerations in recognizing salts and cocrystals of solid forms. Our study led to the design of seven new multicomponent crystalline forms of imatinib, an oncology API. Using X-ray crystallography and solid-state NMR, we elucidated hydrogen bonding interactions and proton transfer, unveiling multicomponent interactions in the crystalline solid forms along the salt−cocrystal continuum. This research provides valuable insights into the structural details of solid forms of pharmaceutical compounds and emphasizes the importance of understanding solid-state interactions for the rational design of crystalline APIs, thereby enhancing the drug development process.

Student Talks

Tali Lemcoff
Ph.D. Student, Ben Gurion University

Ultra-Efficient Coloration Mechanisms in Biological Systems Based on Birefringent Organic Crystals
Time: 11:45 a.m.

Nature produces a myriad of structural colors with remarkable saturation and variety. Organisms often utilize organic crystals with extremely high refractive indices to generate efficient photonic effects. Through evolutionary pressure, organisms have developed the ability to precisely control crystal orientation, shape, and assembly, resulting in highly optimized optical structures. By studying these systems, we uncover design principles for efficient, sustainable structural coloration. In cleaner shrimp, one of nature’s brightest and most efficient whites is produced by densely packed nanospheres made of liquid crystalline isoxanthopterin. The color is thinner than 10 μm, far outperforming synthetic paints. The nanospheres exhibit extreme birefringence (~30%) due to the radial molecular alignment. Numerical simulations reveal that birefringence mitigates optical crowding, enhancing scattering efficiency and enabling ultra-thin yet highly reflective layers. In damselflies, blue to green coloration emerges from photonic glasses composed of similar pteridine nanospheres, where coloration is tunable via nanosphere size and pigment loading. These findings reveal how birefringence and pigment-loading are used in nature to enhance optical performance and can be used as mechanisms for the design of new bioinspired materials.

St. John Whittaker
Ph.D. Student, New York University

Photoswitchable Twisted Molecular Crystals
Time: 12:15 p.m.

Coming soon!