Scientific inquiry, inference and critical reasoning in the macromolecular crystallography curriculum

The astounding progress in methods and technology that led to the undisputed success and impact of biomolecular crystallography on areas ranging from essential structural biology to therapeutic drug discovery or the study of molecular complexes of ever increasing size and beauty has brought with it new requirements for the education of students in the field. With the great power of modern crystallography comes great responsibility for its appropriate use, and a modern curriculum must extend beyond the delivery of required technical expertise. The complexity of macromolecular models and the sometimes low determinacy, combined with local variety in structure quality, requires that the student is provided with means of critical analysis and hypothesis testing that extend beyond classical validation, developing a mindset that remains robust against mental bias towards finding what one seeks. The increasing neglect of critical analysis and hypothesis testing in many undergraduate curricula requires that the modern crystallography curriculum itself addresses such fundamental analytical tools of the scientific method to avoid high-profile structure retractions that might tarnish the otherwise unrivalled contributions of macromolecular crystallography to our understanding of the molecular basis of life.