ACMM29
1st - 5th February 2027
Symposium Descriptions
Biological/Life Sciences Symposia
Cross-Cutting Sciences Symposia
Physical/Analytical Sciences Symposia
Biological/Life Sciences Symposia
BL1 - Expansion Microscopy
Expansion microscopy physically enlarges biological specimens to enable nanoscale imaging with conventional microscopes. This session will highlight advances in sample chemistry, labelling strategies, and protocols that preserve ultrastructure and molecular information. Applications across neuroscience, cell biology, and pathology will be discussed, emphasizing quantitative analysis and integration with super-resolution and multiplexed imaging approaches.
BL2 - Super Resolution & Single Molecule Microscopy
This session covers optical methods that overcome the diffraction limit and enable single-molecule sensitivity, including PALM, STORM, MINFLUX, SIM, and related approaches. Additional single-molecule techniques such as single particle tracking, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and tracking-based super-resolution will be featured. Speakers will highlight technical innovations, probe development, and quantitative analysis methods that reveal molecular organization, dynamics, and interactions in live and fixed cells with nanometer precision.
BL3 - Dynamic Imaging
Dynamic imaging captures biological processes as they unfold in space and time. This session will showcase live-cell and live-tissue microscopy approaches for studying fast and slow dynamics, from molecular interactions to cellular behaviours. Topics include minimizing phototoxicity, improving temporal resolution, and quantitative analysis of time-lapse data to extract meaningful biological insights.
BL4 - Intravital Microscopy
Intravital microscopy enables direct visualization of biological processes within living organisms. This session will present advances in imaging deep tissues, stabilizing motion, and extending imaging duration. Applications in immunology, cancer biology, and developmental studies will be highlighted, illustrating how intravital approaches bridge the gap between cellular mechanisms and physiological context.
BL5 - Spatial Omics & Multiplex imaging
Spatial omics and multiplex imaging integrate molecular profiling with spatial context. This session will explore high-plex fluorescence imaging, in situ sequencing, and proteomic mapping approaches. Speakers will discuss experimental design, imaging platforms, and data integration strategies that enable comprehensive molecular characterization of cells and tissues while preserving spatial organization.
BL6 - Advances in Optical Microscopy Techniques
This session will feature emerging and hybrid techniques, including smart and adaptive microscopy, image automation, and non‑fluorescence–based methods such as phase, label-free, and spectroscopic imaging. Speakers will present novel instrumentation, experimental strategies, and applications, highlighting how these diverse optical approaches expand imaging capabilities, address unmet biological questions, and complement established fluorescence-based techniques.
BL7 - Single Particle Analysis - advances in structural biology
This session will feature the application of Cryo-EM to understanding the structures of proteins. Speakers will present novel processing approaches, experimental strategies, and applications, highlighting breadth of proteins structures that can be studied using cryo-EM.
BL8 - Biological Electron Microscopy Sample Preparation – Past, Present and Future
This session explores the evolution of EM sample preparation, highlighting what can be learned from past experience rather than reinventing the wheel as knowledge is lost over time. From classical chemical fixation and staining to modern cryo-based and correlative workflows. Presentations will examine current best practices, limitations, and future directions driven by automation, improved preservation, and multimodal imaging.
BL9 - Advances in scanning probe microscopy for life science
More exciting details to come....
Cross-Cutting Sciences Symposia
CC01 - Focussed Forwards – Novel Ion Sources and New Directions
Innovations in ion source technology, new analytical capabilities, and emerging applications will define the future of focused ion beams across disciplines. This theme will explore next-generation developments including gas-phase and metal-alloy ion sources, low-damage and cryo-milling approaches, fs lasers, and advances in correlative microanalysis. Discussions on integrating AI, FIB automation, and multimodal workflows to enhance precision, efficiency, and data interpretation are welcome. The session will highlight transformative directions that expand the versatility of focused ion beams, opening new frontiers in nanoscale fabrication, characterisation, and cross-disciplinary discovery.
CC02 - Real-World Challenges (& Solutions!) in Microscopy and Microanalysis
Delivering reliable microanalytical results outside controlled laboratory environments remains a central challenge across disciplines. This symposium focuses on practical obstacles encountered in routine and high stakes microanalysis, including sample heterogeneity, measurement uncertainty, workflow robustness, data integration, and reproducibility. Contributions will explore pragmatic solutions spanning methodological adaptation, instrument and workflow design, quality assurance, and data interpretation strategies. Emphasis is placed on lessons learned from real world implementation and on approaches that improve confidence, efficiency, and decision making when microanalysis is applied to complex, imperfect, or time constrained problems.
Physical/Analytical Sciences Symposia
PA1 - Microscopy and Microanalysis for Sustainable Resource Exploration and Management
Microscopy and microanalysis underpins sustainable resource exploration and management by enabling high‑resolution and high throughput characterization of minerals, fluids, and environmental materials. This symposium highlights advances in microanalytical techniques, such as electron microscopy, microprobe analysis, and in situ isotopic and spectroscopic methods, and their applications across the resource life cycle. Case studies demonstrate how micro‑scale insights inform responsible exploration, improve resource efficiency, mitigate environmental impacts, and support circular economy practices. By integrating cutting‑edge analytics with geoscience and environmental frameworks, we explore how microanalysis plays a critical role in delivering resilient and sustainable resource solutions.
PA2 - Microscopy and Microanalysis of Cultural Heritage Materials
The investigation of cultural heritage material properties often involves a range of complex considerations, such as restrictive handling and sampling constraints, small datasets, effects of degradation and conservation treatments, ethical obligations to custodians and stakeholders, material heterogeneity, lack of contextual information, and understanding the intentionality of the creator of the object. Researchers must be creative in their approaches to the analysis of these precious and often unique materials, resulting in novel, innovative workflows. In this symposium we provide a survey of various analytical methodologies and case studies in the fields of art, archaeology and conservation.
PA4 - Macro to Quantum - Focussed Ion Beams in the Physical Sciences
Focused ion beams are critical in the physical sciences, enabling nanoscale fabrication, characterisation, and modification of materials with exceptional precision. This theme will highlight advances in multimodal microscopy and in situ experimentation across diverse fields including geology, materials science, semiconductors, optics, nanomaterials, and quantum technologies. Topics include site-specific sample preparation, micron-scale sample preparation and testing, 3D and atom probe tomography, ion-solid interactions and defect engineering, and device prototyping. Attendees will explore emerging FIB applications and innovative approaches to current technological challenges.
PA5 - Advanced Microscopy and Spectroscopy for Energy Materials
Energy materials are critical for advancing technologies in clean energy, batteries and electronic devices. This symposium will highlight developments and applications in advanced microscopy and spectroscopy for understanding and designing next-generation energy materials such as batteries, catalysis, photovoltaics, and hydrogen-related systems. Topics include electron, x-ray, and scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy and multimodal approaches that reveal structure–property relationships across multiple length and time scales.
PA6 - Microscopy and microanalysis for Next generation new materials
Emerging functional materials are enabling new phenomena and properties beyond conventional material systems. This symposium will highlight developments and applications of advanced microscopy and spectroscopy for understanding the structure, chemistry and functionality of novel materials systems, including twisted and moiré 2D materials, hybrid and heterostructured materials, high-entropy alloys and oxides, complex metal systems, and other emerging functional materials. Topics include electron, x-ray and scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy, as well as multimodal and correlative approaches that reveal structure–property relationships across multiple length scales. Contributions focusing on defects, interfaces, local structural and chemical ordering, phase transformations, and nanoscale functional behaviour in advanced materials are encouraged.
PA7 - Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis for Quantum, Electronic and Semiconductor Materials
Quantum, electronic and semiconductor materials underpin emerging technologies in quantum information, sensing, advanced computing and next-generation devices. This symposium will highlight developments and applications of advanced microscopy, spectroscopy and microanalysis techniques for understanding the structure, chemistry and functionality of quantum and electronic materials systems. Topics include wide bandgap semiconductors, ultra-thin electronic materials, quantum defects, semiconductor heterostructures and advanced device architectures. Contributions covering electron, x-ray and scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy, as well as correlative and multimodal approaches for characterising defects, interfaces, dopants, strain, electronic structure and nanoscale functionality across multiple length scales are encouraged.
PA8 - 4D/5D STEM, Ptychography and other Diffraction based techniques
Recent advances in detector technology, computational methods and electron optics are transforming diffraction-based microscopy and enabling new approaches for imaging and analysis of materials at unprecedented resolution. This symposium will highlight developments and applications of 4D/5D STEM, ptychography, electron diffraction based methods for materials characterisation. Topics include strain and field mapping, phase and orientation analysis, atomic-resolution imaging, low-dose and beam-sensitive materials characterisation, in-situ and time-resolved diffraction methods.
PA9 - In-situ and time-resolved microscopy and spectroscopy
Understanding dynamic processes in materials and devices requires advanced characterisation techniques capable of probing structural, chemical and functional evolution in real time and under operating conditions. This symposium will highlight developments and applications of in-situ, operando and time-resolved microscopy and spectroscopy across a broad range of materials systems. Topics include heating, cooling, electrical biasing, mechanical testing, gas and liquid cell microscopy, ultrafast and pump–probe methods, and dynamic imaging under external stimuli. Contributions covering electron, x-ray and scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy, as well as correlative and multimodal approaches for investigating phase transformations, defect dynamics, transport phenomena, interfacial processes and nanoscale functional behaviour are encouraged.
PA10 - Advances in scanning probe microscopy for physical sciences
More exciting details to come..