Niggli akaberekerwa muZofingen uye akadzidza paSwitzerland Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) muZurich uye paUniversity of Zurich, kwaakawana dhigirii rake. Bhuku rake ra1919, Geometrische Kristallographie des Diskontinuums, rakatamba basa rakakosha mukunatsiridza dzidziso yechikwata chemuchadenga. Mubhuku rino, Niggli akaratidza kuti kunyangwe hazvo mamiriro ekudzokorora kweX-ray asingagara achisarudza chete boka renzvimbo iro kristaro iri, ivo vanoratidza nhamba diki yemapoka enzvimbo angangove ari. Niggli akashandisa nzira dze morphological kuverengera chimiro chemukati uye, mu1928 Kristallographische und theoretische Struktur Grundfefefe, akatora chii chinonyanya kudzoreredza maitiro, iro basa rekumisikidza kubatana pakati penzvimbo dzekunze nenzvimbo yekunze morphology. Chinangwa chikuru chehupenyu hwake chaive chekubatanidza munda wese wepasi sainzi.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) muZurich uye University of Zurich