The dream of imaging single molecules was instrumental to the construction of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). The recent inauguration of the European XFEL marks the beginning of the high-intensity, high-repetition-rate and high data-rate era of XFELs, bringing the dream closer to reality.
In this talk I will present the evolution of X-ray diffraction imaging, and in particular highlight the latest results from the European XFEL. I will also demonstrate the importance of developing robust structure validation procedures for the long-term success and wider adoption of the method as well as discuss what new techniques might be over the horizon and how to best make use of this wealth of data to extract as much new knowledge as possible.
