Full Symposium Descriptions

This symposium is a platform to provide an overview of recent developments in focused ion beam instrumentation and accessories, as well as a forum for FIB practitioners to share and discuss novel applications and techniques across multiple scientific disciplines. The emphasis is on innovative approaches to ion imaging, sample preparation, micro/nanofabrication, simulation and modeling, and analytics that go beyond conventional methods in material and life science research.

Organizers:

• Matthew Thorseth, Dow
• Daniel Perea, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Jamie Ford, University of Pennsylvania
• Shize Yang, Yale University

Sponsored by the Focused Ion Beams Focus Interest Group

More than 50 years since first proposed, ptychography has become routinely achievable in modern transmission electron microscopes and is being used to solve important problems in materials science. This symposium is designed to present recent advances in electron ptychography and related phase-imaging techniques. 

Organizers:

• Colum O'Leary, University of California-Los Angeles
• Yi Jiang, Argonne National Laboratory
• Peng Wang, The University of Warwick, United Kingdom

Recent developments have been pushing 4D-STEM to more dimensions (e.g., temporal, spectroscopic, 3D spatial) to derive ever deepening insights into materials’ structure, chemistry and even their dynamics when coupled to various stimuli. To achieve this, experiments must be designed so that the datasets are acquired efficiently, and handled and processed intelligently. These developments are providing new insights into traditional materials including metals, alloys and thin films, and creating opportunities for challenging samples like MOFs, perovskites, battery materials and other soft materials. This symposium presents the latest developments in 4D-STEM, emphasizing both experimental and computational advances that expand scanning diffraction techniques in more dimensions.

Organizers:

• Shelly Conroy, Imperial College London, UK
• Stephanie Ribet, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
• Mingjian Wu, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Germany
• Benjamin Savitzky, h-Bar Instruments

Sponsored by the Electron Crystallography and Automated Mapping Techniques Focused Interest Group

This memorial symposium will focus on the contributions of analytical electron microscopy and related techniques to advancing our understanding of phase transformations, precipitation reactions, and other reactions in materials that impact properties and performance. Jim Bentley's career focused on understanding microstructural evolution as it affected material behavior - with important contributions in radiation effects and fundamental phase transformations research. He impacted countless young and not-so-young researchers via his outstanding teaching and collaborative research through the ORNL SHaRE Program. This symposium will honor Jim's lifetime of contributions to science, education and our technical community by reviewing the status and future prospect of applications AEM with respect to radiation effects and phase transformations and microstructural analysis.

Organizers:

• Grace Burke, Idaho National Laboratory
• Nestor Zaluzec, Argonne National Laboratory
• Neal Evans, University of Tennessee
• Paul Kotula, Sandia National Laboratories

Atom Probe Tomography (APT) is an evolving analytical technique, producing three-dimensional composition point cloud maps with sub-nanometer spatial resolution and part-per-million chemical sensitivity. The continued evolution of the APT field tracks along two broad fronts: advances in specimen preparation/data analysis and advances in instrumentation. Additionally, correlating with other analytical techniques (e.g., EM, XCT, SIMS) provides broader insights into materials characterization. Under the APFIM-FIG, this symposium serves as a forum for the latest advances in materials applications, APT correlation with other analytical capabilities, as well as theoretical, methodological, and instrument developments.

Organizers:

• Daniel Perea, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Baishakhi Mazumder, The University at Buffalo
• Elizabeth Kautz, North Carolina State University
• Allen Hunter, University of Michigan

Sponsored by the Atom Probe Field Ion Microscopy Focused Interest Group

Surface properties dictate the performance of many physical and biological systems. Surface characterization needs are pushing to detect and image species present in ever-lower concentrations and within ever-smaller spatial dimensions, depth dimensions, and temporal resolution. This symposium emphasizes state-of-the-art surface analytical instrumentation encompassing all aspects of surface and near-surface analyses, such as imaging mass spectrometry, scanning probe microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We will cover advanced data analysis tools; correlative imaging (e.g., AFM and SEM; AFM and SIMS; FIB-SIMS; APT and TEM), and the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) in materials science. The use of complementary surface instrumentation to perform a complete analysis of complex systems; quantitative microanalysis; data processing; and surface analytical challenges will be highlighted. Both platform and poster presentations are encouraged.

Organizers:

• Jeffrey Fenton, Honeywell FM&T
• Xiao-Ying Yu, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Ryan Wagner, Purdue University
• Vincent Smentkowski, GE

The symposium aims to provide a platform for SEM users, where novel applications, techniques and still existing bottlenecks are presented and discussed. It covers innovative physical and instrumental aspects as well as applications in material and life science that surpass beyond routine specimen characterization. In the field of low voltage, low vacuum SEM, signal detection and interpretation, correlative techniques and in-situ/operando are welcome. We are also interested in contributions addressing analytical challenges such as light element detection as well as correlative imaging and spectroscopy (e.g., secondary ion mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy).

Organizers:

• Ute Golla-Schindler, Aalen University, Germany
• Marc Willinger, The Entrepreneurial University, Germany
• Dirk Berger, Technical University of Berlin, Germany

MAS has sponsored multiyear funding for the development of standard reference materials headed by the FIG Standards group. The proposed MM2025 session will include invited papers reporting on the status of the project and an overview of standard reference materials but also seeks contributed papers in analytical methods for characterization, distribution methods, and use of reference materials in microanalysis. Characterization and calibration methods include EPMA-WDS, SEM-EDS, uXRF, and others.

Organizers:

• Paul Carpenter, Washington University in St. Louis
• Emma Bullock, Carnegie Institute
• Heather Lowers, US Geological Survey
• Abigail Lindstrom, NIST

Sponsored by the Microanalytical Standards Focused Interest Group

Electron diffraction provides quantitative scattering signals at spatial resolutions from sub-Angstroms to nm for materials structural analysis, including the study of chemical bonds. However, extracting such information using electron diffraction requires advancements in diffraction techniques, theory and analysis algorithms. This symposium will cover electron diffraction techniques in both TEM and SEM, including but not limited to: CBED, microED, precession electron diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI), transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) and selected area electron channeling patterns (SAECP). Novel techniques, detectors, data interpretation and post-processing (including machine learning and quantitative calibration of material models) are all of interest.

Organizers:

• Jian-Min Zuo, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
• Tim Ruggles, Sandia National Laboratories
• Miyoung Kim, Seoul National University

This symposium highlights the latest advancement and emergent developments in electron and ion microscopy, emphasizing cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (TEM) impact on quantum technologies and energy applications. Cryogenic TEM techniques, crucial for examining low-temperature exotic phenomena that emerge in quantum materials and technologies, can also preserve volatile/reactive materials, and minimize damage of beam-sensitive materials. Innovations in cryogenic sample preparation, advanced TEM holders, and techniques like 4D-STEM and EELS are discussed. Additionally, the symposium addresses the application of multi-modal S/TEM in revealing electronic and structural intricacies of materials, crucial for overcoming material disorder challenges in quantum computing. These innovations mark a significant leap in understanding and developing quantum materials and technologies as well as energy materials under extreme conditions.

Organizers:

• Rosa Diaz, Purdue University
• Shelly Conroy, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
• Yu-Tsun Shao, University of Southern California

Our understanding of the 3D structure and functional subtleties of complex biological systems has skyrocketed due to recent advances in EM imaging technology and hybrid methodologies. This symposium will highlight structural studies of macromolecules, microorganisms, cells, and tissues using state-of-the-art high-resolution techniques. These techniques include single particle cryo-EM, cryo-electron tomography, helical reconstruction, STEM; AFM, X-ray crystallography, and molecular modeling. Biological topics of interest include cellular architecture, metabolism, trafficking, communication, and division; gene regulation, transcription, and translation; host-pathogen interactions and virus structure; in situ studies using TEM and SEM, and all aspects of structure-function studies of biological assemblies.

Organizers:

• Teresa Ruiz, University of Vermont
• Melanie Ohi, University of Michigan
• Cheri Hampton, AFRL/RXAS Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
• Edward Eng, New York Structural Biology Center

Spnosored by the 3D-EM in Biological Sciences Focused Interest Group

This symposium is a forum for the exchange of information and knowledge on the latest advances in soft X-ray tomography instrumentation and methods for imaging biological specimens. Soft X-ray tomography is a label-free technology for quantitative imaging of fully hydrated, intact cells in 3D. Invited papers will demonstrate the diverse applications in the biosciences and the technical advances in specimen preparation, data processing and reconstruction, and imaging formation theory that made them possible. Target audience will include cell biologists, and scientists and engineers interested in novel microscopies, including correlative cryo light and structural cell imaging methods.

Organizers:

• Kenneth Fahy, Sirius XT, Ireland
• Carolyn Larabell, University of California-San Francisco

Electron microscopy is critically important in the research, detection, and diagnosis of diseases, screening biological tissues at high magnification and at high resolution (the ultrastructural level), often in conjunction with other methods, particularly light microscopy and immunofluorescence techniques. This symposium, sponsored by Diagnostic & Biomedical Microscopy focused interest group, will present a diverse content related to the research and diagnosis of diseases in humans, plants and animals. Content will feature the use of latest advanced techniques to understand disease mechanisms.

Organizers:

• Emily Benson, Cleveland Clinic
• Mike Reichelt, CALM-EM
• Claudia Lopez, OHSU
• Marcela Redigolo, WVU

Sponsored by the Diagnostic & Biomedical Microscopy Focused Interest Group

This symposium will highlight recent advances in super-resolution light microscopy (SRLM) and super-resolution correlative light and electron microscopy (SR-CLEM) of biological samples and the unprecedented new biology revealed by these tools. Particular areas of focus will include 1) the growing family of SRLM techniques applicable to live samples, 2) SRLM techniques that provide insights at the intramolecular scale, and 3) novel methods for robust, quantitative analysis of SRLM data.

Organizers:

• Rengasayee Veeraraghavan, Ohio State University
• Jay Potts, University of South Carolina Medical School

The capability of modern light microscopes to study biologic processes is often limited by the preparation of the tissue to be imaged. Advances in tissue preparation technologies, such as tissue clearing and Expansion Microscopy, facilitate more effective visualization and understanding of structures and processes in intact biologic systems. Innovation in the way that tissues are manipulated prior to imaging often spurs novel uses for established imaging platforms and may inspire the development of new hardware and computational approaches. This symposium offers the opportunity to explore advancements in tissue preparation and large volumetric imaging technologies which push the limits and expand the utility of modern light microsopes. Target attendees include scientists from all levels of bio-imaging expertise and related backgrounds.

Organizers:

• Yongxin Zhao, Carnegie Mellon University
• Alan Watson, University of Pittsburgh
• Adam Glaser, The Allen Institute

This symposia is joint with the Interamerican Committee of Societies for Electron Microscopy (CIASEM). Microscopy plays a crucial role in cell and molecular biology by offering detailed views of cellular components. Light microscopy has been essential for observing live cells and their dynamic activities. Electron microscopy provides high-resolution images, revealing the fine details of both membrane-bound and membrane-less organelles. Additionally, probe microscopies, such as atomic force microscopy, allow for the examination of cell structures at the nanoscale. These techniques collectively enhance our understanding of cell structure and function, contributing significantly to advancements in cell biology.

Organizers

• Luis Jimenez-Garcia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
• Francisco Capani, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
• James Evans, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Electron cryotomography (cryo-ET) has made it possible to visualize large, macromolecular machines inside intact cells in a near-native, frozen-hydrated state in 3-D to a few nanometers resolution. Increasingly, atomic models of individual proteins and smaller complexes obtained by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, AlphaFold, or other methods can be fit into cryotomograms to reveal how the various pieces work together inside cells. Recent developments in Artificial intelligence (AI) in particular have profoundly enhanced our ability to acquire, process, and decipher cryo-electron tomography data. Talks will demonstrate the current state-of-the-art and remaining technological challenges and potential solutions, including the use of AI for automated microscope operation; image denoising; particle picking and subtomogram averaging; structural heterogeneity analysis; synthetic data generation; and data mining.

Organizers:

• Danielle Grotjahn, The Scripps Institute
• Grant Jensen, Brigham Young University
• Ben Barad, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)

Cryo-EM can visualize biological samples in their frozen-hydrated state using low-dose EM imaging or diffraction techniques. Using this principle, single-particle analysis of purified samples can yield resolutions in the sub-3Å range while sub-tomogram averaging can reach similar resolutions for targets imaged in-situ. New possibilities are also brought in from STEM. This symposium will showcase new technology in the areas of specimen preparation, new instrumentation and novel software tools to improve data quality, workflow efficiency, and 3D reconstruction.

Organizers:

• Anchi Cheng, Chan Zuckerberg Imaging Institute
• Alberto Bartesaghi, Duke University
• Tim Grant, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Microscopy and microanalysis, including both TEM and SEM, have been widely used in biological and/or materials sciences to acquire information on samples’ morphological features, chemical composition and crystal structure. These applications often involve characterization of both organic and inorganic matter in the same samples, especially interfaces and interactions between organic and inorganic matter. Organic and inorganic interfaces and interactions exist not only in nature between bone and muscle, enamel and dentin, and during biomineralization and biocorrosion, but also in synthetic or engineered materials, such as biomaterials and devices implanted in the human body as well as hybrid materials for optical, electronic, energy and medical applications.

Organizers:

• Donggao Zhao, University of Missouri-Kansas City
• Nan Yao, Princeton University
• Liza-Anastasia DiCecco, Penn State University
• Linduo Zhou, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

Recent events are challenging DEI initiatives at state universities across the country, the responsibility to champion diversity in the sciences grows even more urgent from different institutions and societies that maintain autonomy. This symposium aims to summon passionate voices from all backgrounds to spotlight groundbreaking microscopy research conducted by students, scientist, and faculty from underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring that a broad spectrum of perspectives enriches the field, and delving into innovative strategies that leading scientist and institutions are employing for fostering diversity recruitment and integrated DEI-principles in microscopy research. The goal of this symposium is to foster a deep, transformative discussions, share knowledge, and exchange experiences among researchers from a diverse background.

Organizers:

• Rosa Diaz, Purdue University
• Martha McCartney, Arizona State University
• Shery Chang, University of New South Wales, Australia

This symposium would be for those in or interested in industry to discuss microscopy solutions to some of their common problems.

Organizers:

• Christa Gonzales, Altria
• Amy Rue, INEOS

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This symposia is joint with the Interamerican Committee of Societies for Electron Microscopy (CIASEM).  It includes supplementary topics to disseminate the academic work of researchers that benefit from the application of microscopy techniques to their investigations. Fields include, but are not limited to, science and education, natural resources, and cultural heritage. Microscopy techniques include, light microscopy, electron microscopy, and their associated analytical techniques such as EDS, WDS, FTIR and EELS, atomic force microscopy, confocal microscopy, etc.

Organizers:

• Josefina Arellano, University of Texas at Dallas
• Amelia Dempere, University of Florida
• Jiaqi Jin, University of Utah

Recent developments in advanced microstructure characterization, micro-scale testing, and in-situ techniques are increasingly being applied to the evaluation of nuclear fuels and structural materials. These modern techniques now enable us to attain greater insights into the atomic and subatomic structure of irradiation-induced defects, chemical segregation, mass and thermal transport, and other structure-property phenomena at conditions closely representative of in-service nuclear reactor environments. This symposium highlights these state-of-the-art characterization, imaging, and testing techniques (including but not limited to STEM, 4D-STEM, FIB, SEM, APT, nano/pico-indentation, tomography, in-situ testing, etc.) and their application to nuclear fuels and materials.

Organizers:

• Yaqiao Wu, Boise State University
• Janelle P. Wharry, Purdue University
• Colin Judge, Idaho National Laboratory
• Sooyeon Hwang, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Ferroic materials, such as ferroelectrics and ferromagnets, exhibit long-range orders of charge or spin that are switchable by external electric and magnetic fields, making them promising for energy-efficient microelectronic applications. Recent advances in electron microscopy have made tremendous achievement for understanding ferroic materials by probing lattice, charge, and spin configurations, as well as their switching dynamics down to the atomic scale. This symposium aims to facilitate the exchange of information and scientific discussion regarding the significant progress, challenges, and future directions of electron microscopy study of ferroic materials. The focus will be on new results in quantitative electric and magnetic field mapping, novel instrumentation and techniques for in situ observations, and other cutting-edge topics.

Organizers:

• Myung-Geun Han, Brookhaven National Laborary
• Lin Zhou, Iowa State University
• Leopoldo Molina-Luna, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany

Collective excitations such as plasmons, phonons, and polaritons have attracted intense interest due to their strong optical and thermal responses and energy-momentum band dispersion, impacting nanophotonics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, photocatalysis, ultrafast communication, and quantum computing. Electron microscopy has become an essential tool for studying collective excitations with high spatial, energy, momentum, and temporal resolutions by employing electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), photo-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM), ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), and photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). This symposium will cover the basic concepts of collective phenomena, advanced experimental characterization techniques and theory developments.

Organizers:

• Haihua Liu, Argonne National Laboratory
• Jon P. Camden, University of Notre Dame
• David Masiello, University of Washington

Recent advancements in improving energy storage, conversion, and harvesting materials can be largely attributed to a more profound understanding of the structure-property-environmental relationship gained with advanced characterization to elucidate the phenomena that govern their performance. This symposium delves into the latest developments in advanced microscopy characterization techniques applied to energy materials and the learned mechanisms of energy systems. It aims to explore cutting-edge methods to investigate interfaces, heterogeneities, defects, and degradation to provide a platform for stimulating the development and dissemination of innovative approaches for characterizing energized nanoscale phenomena.

Organizers:

• Sooyeon Hwang, Brookhaven National Laborary
• Katherine Jungjohann, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Yuzhang Li, University of California-Los Angeles

The objective of this symposium is to provide a platform to discuss recent developments in materials characterization enabled by aberration-corrected scanning and transmission electron microscopy, novel objective lens environments, new generation of monochromators, spectrometers, cameras and sample holders. The symposium will provide a forum for discussing the challenges and future prospects of quantifying various material properties at the atomic and nanometer scale beyond ambient conditions, including electrical biasing, electrochemical potentials, cryogenic or elevated temperatures. The symposium seeks presentations that explore electronic, structural, magnetic or other transport phase transitions and related physical phenomena as function of sample conditions via 2D, 3D or 4D STEM imaging modes and monochromated and conventional electron energy-loss spectroscopy.

Organizers:

• Robert Klie, University of Illinois-Chicago
• Juan-Carlos Idrobo, University of Washington

New specimen holders and detection technologies advance in situ and operando electron microscopy methods for characterizing the complex relationship among structure, property, and stimulus underpinning material performance in real-world applications. Data recording the dynamics unfolding in reactive or extreme environments can go beyond images and involve multiple modalities contributed by analytical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, mechanical testing, etc. This symposium focuses on in situ liquid and gas electron microscopy experimental design and data science, enabling multimodal electron microscopy characterization to elucidate materials' underlying structure and properties. We encourage submissions to address the technical challenges of such experiments.

Organizers:

• Xiaobing Hu, Northwestern University
• Sriram Vijayan, Michigan Technological University
• Shize Yang, Yale University
• Jungwon Park, Seoul National University, Korea

Sponsored by the Electron Microscopy in Liquids and Gases Focused Interest Group

Future energy systems will expose materials to multiple extreme environments, often simultaneously, such as high temperatures, stress/strain, radiation, and corrosion/oxidation. Understanding the mechanisms of materials’ responses to extreme environments requires advanced in-situ/ex-situ characterization/testing, including analyses of separate and combined or synergistic effects. This symposium will bring together experts in radiation effects, corrosion, mechanical behavior, and advanced microscopy, with an emphasis on the application of latest-generation methods of microscopy, microanalysis, and data analytics to tackle problems in materials subjected to extreme environments.

Organizers:

• Timothy Lach, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Mukesh Bachhav, Idaho National Laboratory
• Elizabeth Kautz, North Carolina State University
• Daniel Schreiber, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Innovations in detectors, theory, and data processing have led to new ways to characterize amorphous, highly heterogeneous materials and concentrated solid solutions with disordered chemistry to allow new understanding of the structural origins of their properties relevant to applications. Materials of interest include oxide and metallic glasses, amorphous thin films, chalcogenides, high-entropy alloys/ceramics, organic and polymer glasses, and biomaterials. Characterization of interest includes short to medium range ordering, atomic/molecular bonding, structural heterogeneity, orientational ordering, as well as time-resolved dynamics in disordered materials using various techniques, including TEM/STEM imaging, nano-beam diffraction, 4D-STEM, fluctuation microscopy, pair distribution function, and spectroscopy based methods.

Organizers:

• Jinwoo Hwang, Ohio State University
• Mary Scott, University of California-Berkeley
• Honggyu Kim, University of Florida
• Mingwei Zhang, University of California-Davis

New methods to both control and measure the spatiotemporal properties of free electrons such as ultrafast TEM, structured illumination, uncorrected electron ptychography, and interferometry has enabled the probing of real-space electromagnetic structures and their accompanying dynamics at high spatial and temporal resolutions. Building upon the foundation laid by these works, focus has shifted towards the myriad of fundamental materials science questions that could only be addressed by these nontraditional approaches. This symposium highlights current methodological advances as well as the employment of unconventional electron probes to elucidate correlated materials physics and dynamics from the nanoscopic world around us.

Organizers:

• Kayla Nguyen, University of Oregon
• Spencer Reisbick, Brookhaven National Laboratory
• Fehmi Yasin, Riken, Japan
• Thomas LaGrange, EPFL, Switzerland

Imaging dynamical phenomena via electron microscopy is historically challenging. Recent advances in TEM holders with various capabilities ranging from biasing to cyrogenics and heating have created a new platform for in-situ experiments probing the real-time response of spin textures to various external stimuli. This symposium aims to provide a platform for discussion to understand the physical and chemical processes governing the dynamic behavior under different external stimuli using in-situ TEM, and highlights innovative in-situ experimental techniques and geometries enabling new material characterizations beyond conventional imaging.

Organizers:

• Fehmi Yasin, Riken, Japan
• Darius Pohl, Technical University of Dresden, Germany
• Qian Chen, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
• Jungwon Park, Seoul National University, Korea