# The XStruct Group - Comprehensive Knowledge Base

## Organization Details
- **Institution**: Ghent University (Universiteit Gent)
- **Faculty**: Faculty of Sciences (Faculteit Wetenschappen)
- **Department**: Department of Chemistry (Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry)
- **Research Unit**: The XStruct Research Group
- **Address**: Krijgslaan 289, Building S3 (Campus Sterre), B-9000 Gent, Belgium
- **Administrative Contacts**:
  - Kathleen Degroote: +32 9 264 44 21
  - Pierre Vanbocxstaele: +32 9 264 44 46
- **Telephone (Group Leader)**: +32 9 264 48 70
- **Website**: https://xstruct.ugent.be/
- **Expertise Platform**: Part of the UGent Advanced Chemical Analysis expertise platform

## Group Leader & Principal Investigator
**Prof. dr. Kristof Van Hecke**
- Principal Investigator & Group Leader, Associate Professor
- Department of Chemistry, Ghent University
- Email: Kristof.VanHecke@UGent.be
- Bibliography: https://biblio.ugent.be/publication?text=Kristof+Van+Hecke
- Research Focus: Single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), crystallography, bio-inorganic chemistry, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), photoactive smart crystals, and coordination chemistry.

## Core Research Vision & Methodology
The XStruct research group focuses on X-ray structures in general and Bio-Inorganic Chemistry in specific.

Single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) or crystallography is by far the most accurate way to obtain 3D structures of molecules at the atomic level. We use this technique to determine the molecular structures of several compounds, ranging from small (in)organic molecules, ionic liquids (IL's), metal-organic complexes and frameworks (MOF’s), bio-inorganic materials to modified DNA oligonucleotides and peptides.

The XStruct research group is part of the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry at Ghent University and actively contributes to the UGent Advanced Chemical Analysis expertise platform.

### Research Pillars
1. **Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction (XRD) & Crystallography**:
   Atomic-resolution three-dimensional determination of small molecules, ionic liquids, metal-organic complexes, MOFs, and biomacromolecular structures. Providing service and collaborative structural solutions for academia and industry.
2. **Bio-Inorganic Chemistry**:
   Studying the interactions between biological material (e.g. DNA) and inorganic molecules/atoms (e.g. lanthanide complexes, Hg ions). Elucidating structure-function relationships to understand binding mechanisms and biological activity at the atomic level.
3. **Bio-Imaging Sensors & Antitumor Photodynamic Therapies**:
   Designing novel sensors for bio-imaging and novel drug molecules for antitumor and anticancer photodynamic therapies (PDT) based on inorganic metal- and lanthanide-containing compounds.
4. **Chiral and Helical Self-Assemblies**:
   Investigating the chiral and helical supramolecular self-assemblies of metal complexes, stereoselective coordination, and functional crystal architectures.
5. **DNA Mismatches as Targets for Metal-Ions**:
   Studying DNA mismatches as coordination sites for heavy metal ions and developing their applications in crystallographic phasing for macromolecular crystallography.
6. **Charge Density Analysis**:
   Conducting high-resolution, low-temperature experimental electron charge density analysis to benchmark and validate theoretical quantum calculations in amino acid and peptide single crystals.
7. **Advanced Instrumentation & Synchrotron Access**:
   Equipped with an in-house dual-source Agilent SuperNova diffractometer (Mo and Cu microfocus sources) and cryo-crystallography equipment, alongside regular access to international synchrotron beamlines for high-intensity X-ray radiation.

## Group Directory
### Academic Staff
- Prof. dr. Kristof Van Hecke (Group Leader & Associate Professor)

### Postdoctoral Researchers
- Dr. Javed Pathan (Bio-inorganic chemistry, transition metal complexes, and crystal engineering)

### PhD Researchers
- Paola La Magna (Layered hybrid perovskites, phase transitions, single-crystal XRD)
- Stijn Germonpré (MOF nano-hybrids, artificial enzymes for proteomics; promoter: Prof. Kristof Van Hecke)
- Wannes De Turck (Crystallographic structure determination, molecular coordination architectures, bio-inorganic chemistry)

### PhD Researchers (als Co-Promotor)
- Ediz Garib (Hybrid layered perovskites, structural dynamics; Promotor: Prof. dr. Wouter Van Gompel, UHasselt; Co-promotor: Prof. dr. Kristof Van Hecke, UGent)
- Ihar Mikhnavets (Homogeneous catalysts, organometallic complexes, gold photocatalysis; Promotor: Prof. dr. Catherine Cazin, UGent; Co-promotor: Prof. dr. Kristof Van Hecke, UGent)

### Alumni & Former Members
- Former Postdocs: Dr. Subhrajyoti Bhandary
- Former PhD Students: Dr. Marek Beliš, Tim Verdonck (2019), Baoyi Yu (2015), Parviz Gohari Derakhshandeh, Dimitrije Mara (2020), Manzoor Zaman, Ken Princen, Marina Saab, Laurens Bourda, Min Peng, Sofie Vanden Broeck, Sonali Mohanty
- Former Master Students: Florence Haepers, Tineke Mortier, Jason Serck, Jeroen De Cock, Camille Baetslé, Jianjun Huang, Gaigai Wang, Ken Princen, Tom Vanmarcke (2019), Ine Vander Haegen (2019), Thomas Lersch, Bettina Van Kenhoven, Ayse Alici, Melanie Debaere (2022-2023), Jana Minne (2022-2023), Stijn Germonpré, Zofia Petryna, Xiebe Stiers, Nassar Barnoussi
- Former Thesis Students: Volker Jens Schwerdtner

## Contact & Location
- Address: Ghent University, Department of Chemistry, XStruct group, Krijgslaan 289 – building S3 (Campus Sterre), B-9000 Gent, Belgium
- Email: Kristof.VanHecke@UGent.be
- Phone: +32 9 264 48 70
- Secretaries: Kathleen Degroote (+32 9 264 44 21) | Pierre Vanbocxstaele (+32 9 264 44 46)