The Australian Synchrotron User Meeting in November 2012 attracted an enthusiastic crowd of around 170 synchrotron experts, users and prospective users. Participants enjoyed 130 oral and poster presentations and took full advantage of all networking opportunities.
Reported highlights included: what the 'new normal' for crystallography actually means, how scanning x-ray microscopy could help solve chronic arsenic problems in drinking water, and why researchers want to image biological molecules using x-rays so intense they can melt holes in stainless steel three millimetres thick.
Presentations by plenary speakers from the US, Canada and Germany were complemented by 17 invited speakers, 39 additional oral presentations and 70 posters featuring synchrotron research projects.