First Nordic Sub-Micron IR Microscopy Conference

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a highly sensitive analytical technique with high spectral resolution, enabling the detection of subtle molecular variations and providing detailed chemical fingerprinting in complex samples. For years, the method has therefore been popular in a wide range of scientific fields, from chemistry and material science to environmental and biomedical studies. In conventional IR microscopy, however, the lateral resolution is limited by the diffraction limit of the wavelength of the IR light, which is several (tens of) microns. 

In the last 15-20 years, however, new developments have circumvented these boundaries by employing the photothermal effect in a clever way: thermal expansion induced by the absorption of IR laser light is detected by a different probe, that is not subject to the same spatial limitation. In optical photothermal IR (O-PTIR) microscopy this is done via an optical probe laser, whereas atomic force microscopy (AFM-IR) uses mechanical sensing via the AFM-tip. This has brought the spatial resolution of IR microscopy down to sub-micron scales - even all the way down to 10 nm for the AFM-IR! Understandably, this has opened up a whole new area of possibilities: from characterizing polymer blends and identifying microplastics to visualizing intracellular biochemical organization in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

To bring together researchers and instrument developers at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field, we are excited to announce the First Nordic Sub-Micron IR Microscopy Conference, taking place in Lund, Sweden, this autumn. 

 This event will serve as a dynamic platform to explore the latest advances in high-resolution IR techniques, with a special focus on O-PTIR, AFM-IR, as well as multi-modal approaches, including X-ray microscopy. We further aim to strengthen collaborations among researchers within this field in the Nordic countries, and further afield. 

Over three days of invited and contributed talks, poster presentations, and a demo session at the AFM-IR instrument placed at MAX IV Laboratory, participants will have the opportunity to:

●      Explore cutting-edge applications in materials research, environmental and biomedical science

●      Deepen their understanding of instrumentation, data interpretation, and correlative/complementary techniques

●      Network with leading experts and fellow researchers to share insights and spark collaborations

Full program, keynote speakers, and registration details—coming soon HERE