The Scientific Programme for emc2012 comprises eight parallel sessions with the Life Sciences featuring more strongly than ever before.

The Scientific Programme for the 15^th European Microscopy Congress includes six plenary talks, 123 invited speakers and 330 oral presentations spread across 72 sessions that embrace light and electron microscopy.

The Congress has built its reputation on the Physical Sciences, but recent conferences have included sessions on the Life Sciences. For 2012, the conference is presenting a balanced programme.

"Introducing a full Life Science programme to an EMC for the first time was always going to be a challenge," said Professor Tony Wilson, President of the RMS, and a Vice Chair of the Conference. "But, it has been achieved, and the programme is tremendously inclusive with sessions ranging from the biology of the cell nucleus, to advances in high content imaging. And, for the first time we have sessions that focus on neuroscience and flow cytometry. It promises to be a very busy and inspiring five days."

"We received over 1,200 abstracts, and many subject areas proved very popular," said Dr Debbie Stokes, the emc2012 Congress Chair. "The committees were faced with the very difficult but rewarding task of selecting those papers that would be presented orally. We were seeking innovative work that will make a big impact on the audience, and that will prompt questions and discussions long after a session has finished. We are very pleased with the final programme and we are now looking forward to a great conference." 

The quality and balance of the conference is matched by an exhibition that will have over 1,700m² of stand space. This has been booked by more than 100 manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and consumables for light, electron and scanning probe microscopy, plus spectroscopy and cytometry.

The conference includes an extensive "poster village" with over 730 posters being presented over the course of five days. It promises to be a busy and vibrant place.

"We have ‘late-breaking' sessions in the Life and Physical Science symposia, and we are accepting abstracts for poster presentations right up until 31^st August," said Dr Stokes. "If you are anticipating exciting results between now and then, I would encourage you to submit an abstract and to play your part in emc2012."

The 15^th European Microscopy Congress opens on Sunday 16^th September with registration from 1pm.  The Pre-Congress workshops are scheduled for the afternoon, and are followed by two plenary lectures, and then a drinks reception in the evening. The conference and exhibition run from Monday 17^th to Friday 21^st September.

Full details of the 15^th European Microscopy Conference can be found at www.emc2012.org.uk