On behalf of the Organising Committee, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 9^th International School of Biological Crystallization, ISBC2026.

It is an honour for us at the Laboratory of Crystallographic Studies (LEC) to be hosting ISBC2023 in Granada (Spain) for the eight time, consolidating the successes of previous editions in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023 & 2026. The School is held at Hotel Luna de Granada, at close distance from the Centre of the beautiful City of Granada, aiming to facilitate close scientific and social interactions between attendees, offering plenty of opportunities to catch up with old friends and make many new ones. You will be able to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the city, its tapas’ bars and historical monuments.

This year’s School will provide  five days of lectures and hands-on demonstrations focused on the crystallization of biologics, including peptides, with a strong emphasis on pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Particular attention will be given to protein crystallization as a downstream purification process, positioning it as an alternative to chromatographic techniques, with discussion of scalability and the role of crystallization in enabling efficient and sustainable biomanufacturing..

We have tried our best to make ISBC2026 as valuable as possible for the participants by selecting some of the best lecturers for the wide range of topics covered. We expect that the programme will trigger many fruitful discussions and that this will be an enriching experience for all of us. The only piece missing in this recipe is your positive approach; so please, be open and participative, ask as many questions as necessary, be proactive and leave formalities aside.

We look forward to seeing you in Granada, hoping that you have a wonderful time and enjoy the crystal growth experience.

Jose A. Gavira & Juan Manuel García Ruiz

Directors of the School