The ability of post-genomic research in biology and medicine to deliver substantial improvements in human health depends critically on the rate of progress towards the understanding of complex biological processes at the molecular level. This in turn depends on processes to rapidly determine the 3D structures of all biological molecules in atomic detail. Biological crystallography aims to create precise, three-dimensional "architectural" models of biological molecules. Without such models, it is nearly impossible to understand biological processes: for instance the way that proteins and other molecules behave in cells, or to design new drugs that will affect their function.

BIOXHIT mobilized on the one hand all European synchrotron facilities with beamlines equipped for macromolecular crystallography - either already in existence or planned for the future; and on the other hand most of the software developers active in fields relevant to high-throughput structure determination. This represented the greatest possible organization of resources at the European level, both in terms of infrastructure and scientific talents.

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