ESRF News March 2024

EDITORIAL

March 2024 ESRFnews

Editor

Jon Cartwright

Email jonacartwright@

icloudcom

Editorial committee

Nick Brookes

Delphine Chenevier

Andy Fitch

Michael Krisch

Gema MartínezCriado

Joanne McCarthy

Edward Mitchell

Stéphanie Monaco

Qing Qin

Francesco Sette

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ISSN 10119310

ESRF

news

The beginning of 2024 was marked by the successful 34th User Meeting, and

anticipation of the 30th anniversary of ESRF user operation later this year. Attracting

around 400 participants from 21 partner countries and beyond, the event hosted

11 tutorials addressing fundamental techniques, beamline control tools, data

measurement optimisation, and strategies for data utilisation by ESRF users. The

plenary session featured enlightening keynote lectures from distinguished speakers such

as Giovanna Fragneto, Beatrice Vallone, and the ESRF director general Francesco Sette,

who delved into the success story of the ESRF Upgrade Programme (2009 – 2023) that

culminated with the delivery of the Extremely Brilliant Source. Additional keynotes by

Andrei Petukhov and Andreas Schaefer provided a glimpse into cutting-edge research

on colloids and connectomics. Notably, Jessica McBeck, a geologist and computer

scientist from the University of Oslo in Norway, was honoured with the ESRF Young

Scientist Award for her exceptional contributions to the understanding of multiscale

fracture network developments in rocks.

The event showcased the ESRF’s commitment to advancing synchrotron science,

enhancing scientific productivity, and fostering collaborative research. Engaging in

discussions about societal challenges and expanding the boundaries of knowledge,

the meeting emerged as a pivotal platform for our shared commitment to advancing

science for the betterment of society. The closing day, for example, showcased four

user-dedicated microsymposia, spotlighting key topics such as macromolecular movies,

machine learning in X-ray spectroscopy, diffuse and inelastic X-ray scattering, and the

ESRF HOAHub for creating an atlas of human organs in health, ageing and disease.

This issue of ESRFnews echoes with the promise of ground-breaking achievements,

as we leverage machine-learning algorithms to decode unparalleled insights and

discoveries, comprising automated data collection, image segmentation, spectroscopic

analysis, and the intricate task of mining big data (p12). This technological synergy

aligns with the FAIR principles and is complemented by the revolutionary BLISS

beamline control system (p10).

In the spirit of collaboration and curiosity, we eagerly anticipate the remarkable

scientific insights fuelled by the transformative capabilities of machine-learning tools.

Together, we embark on a journey of discovery, pushing the boundaries of what’s

possible at the ESRFEBS where innovation knows no bounds

Advancing together

Michael Krisch

ESRF director of

research for life

sciences, chemistry

and soft-matter

science (ad interim)

Gema

Martínez-Criado

ESRF director of

research for

condensed matter,

physical and material

sciences