The approach relies on electron diffraction, which sends a beams through sheet-like crystal to determine its structure much like you would with an x-ray. While that technique has previously been used to study proteins, though, the new team discovered that it could work extremely well with tiny organic molecules. It not only worked properly, it worked with materials and mixtures that hadn't been formally prepared -- they could even determine the structure of substances scraped off equipment moments earlier.

This could both speed up the process of determining chemical structures and open up detection for compounds whose crystals otherwise wouldn't be large enough for x-rays. In both cases, it could significantly accelerate drug discoveries and lead to more effective medicines. It could even help crime labs identify narcotic strains, or catch doping techniques that might otherwise slip underneath the radar.