Brno Hosts International Workshop on Cryogenic Microscopy and Spectroscopy on 23–26 March 2026

The Workshop on Cryogenic Microscopy & Spectroscopy took place at the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI CAS) in Brno, Czech Republic. It was organised by ISI CAS in collaboration with the Czechoslovak Microscopy Society, and held under the auspices of the European Microscopy Society and the International Institute of Refrigeration. 

 

The workshop aimed to connect expert communities in cryogenics, electron microscopy, low-temperature physics, cryobiology and spectroscopy, and to identify new directions for further development, particularly in the field of cryo-electron microscopy. Among the distinguished participants were Richard Henderson, Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry 2017 for the development of cryo-electron microscopy, and Ondřej Krivanek, Kavli Prize laureate in Nanoscience 2020 for advances in electron microscopy, together with other leading experts from academia, applied research and industry. 

 

The workshop brought together 104 participants from academia and industry, including 79 attendees from the Czech Republic and 25 from abroad (Austria (6), Germany (6), Switzerland (4), the Netherlands (3), the United Kingdom (2), the United States (2), France (1) and Slovakia (1). The programme included 26 lectures, invited and industry presentations, as well as 14 poster contributions accompanied by short flash talks. The strong local participation reflected Brno’s important role as a centre of electron microscopy and advanced instrumentation. 

 

A further highlight of the event was the opening of the new Nion UltraSTEM laboratory at ISI CAS, marking an important step for atomic-scale research infrastructure in Brno. 

 

The workshop was supported by industrial partners and sponsors :

AdvaScope, condenZero, CryoCapCell, DECTRIS, Engineering Office M. Wohlwend GmbH, European Cryogenics s.r.o., cryoWrite, SPECION and Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

 

The workshop provided a valuable platform for exchanging knowledge across disciplines and highlighted new opportunities in cryogenic microscopy, spectroscopy and low-temperature experimental techniques. Following the positive response from participants, the organisers plan to hold the workshop again in two years. 

 

Organizing Committee 

• Kamila Hrubanová, ISI CAS; President of CSMS 
• Vladislav Krzyžánek, ISI CAS; President of EMS 
• Pavel Urban, ISI CAS; Organising Committee, IIR Cryogenics Conference 
• Jiří Gregor, University Hospital Hradec Králové; President of IIR Commission C1 

 

In cooperation with 

• Steffen Grohmann, KIT; President of IIR Commission A1 
• Ralf Herzog, IIR Honorary Member; Past Head, Section A 

 

More information: 

https://mikrospol.cz/ostatni-akce/workshop-on-cryogenic-microscopy-spectroscopy/ 

 

• Pavel Urban (ISI CAS; Organising Committee) 
• Jiří Gregor (University Hospital Hradec Králové; President, IIR Commission C1) 

 

Report prepared: 10 June 2026