Europe's largest magnetic resonance conference brings together nearly 700 researchers in Oulu
EUROMAR (European Magnetic Resonance Meeting) is Europe's largest annual scientific conference focusing on magnetic resonance.
The conference will be held at the Oulu Music Centre and Pohjankartano School. Topics will cover NMR spectroscopy, EPR spectroscopy and magnetic imaging research and applications in various fields of science, from chemistry to medicine and industry.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR spectroscopy) utilises the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei. The method is based on radio frequency radiation, so it does not damage the object being studied. The NMR signal provides information about the structure and movement of atoms and molecules – it is like a fingerprint of the microscopic world of matter.
NMR spectroscopy is one of the most important methods in modern chemical and biochemical analysis. The best-known application of the NMR phenomenon is magnetic resonance imaging, familiar from hospitals.
The conference is organised by the NMR Research Unit at the University of Oulu. The unit is developing new experimental and computational theoretical NMR methods, such as ultra-fast methods that combine NMR spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. Together with multidisciplinary partners, they are taking NMR techniques to new areas that support sustainable development, such as research into battery materials, biomaterials, eco-concrete, mining water, catalysts and climate change. They recently demonstrated that NMR is also well suited to archaeological research, as it does not damage fragile historical finds.
The conference highlights themes of sustainable development – and also the ability of birds to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field lines
"The conference will focus in particular on the development of new, ultra-sensitive NMR methods for solving sustainable development challenges. The programme will focus on topics such as new energy storage materials and biosensors, which provide unique information about diseases and the transport of drugs in the body," says Professor Ville-Veikko Telkki, head of the NMR unit, who is also in charge of the conference arrangements.
‘A side theme of the conference is birds. I am particularly looking forward to the talk by one of the conference's keynote speakers, Professor Peter Hore, on the magnetoreceptive sensors that birds use to detect the direction of the Earth's magnetic field lines and utilise them for navigation,’ Telkki describes. The opening and closing ceremonies of the conference will feature a multimedia presentation of Einojuhani Rautavaara's Cantus Arcticus – a concerto for birds and orchestra.
The conference will begin on Sunday 6 July with the opening ceremonies. The scientific programme, which runs from Monday 7 July to Thursday 10 July, includes 180 presentations and 364 poster presentations. The conference will also feature over a hundred company representatives presenting their latest innovations at 26 exhibition stands.
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