Event

2023 North America X-ray Microscopy User Meeting

Dublin, California

29 - 30 March 2023

Registrations Closed

Starting soon

Event Highlights

We are very excited to announce the return of the ZEISS North America X-ray Microscopy User Meeting to an in-person format, scheduled in the California East Bay Area on March 29-30, 2023.

This two-day meeting invites you to become an X-ray Microscopy expert. Since no other venue provides you access to such deep XRM expertise, the meeting is intended to transfer as much of this knowledge as possible to you, so you can return home ready to maximize your own investment in X-ray microscopy.

Meet, network, and learn from your fellow X-ray microscopists
Learn best practices and how others have overcome difficult 3D imaging problems
Participate in hands-on time in the lab, addressing practical aspects of data acquisition on both X-ray and adjacent microscope technologies
Enjoy a Q&A panel session with the ZEISS XRM Executive Leadership Team, where your input helps identify and drive future XRM needs
Receive a tour of the new manufacturing facility at the ZEISS Innovation Center California

Meeting Agenda

Follow the link below to download a copy of the user meeting agenda

Download User Meeting Agenda

March 29 – Garre Vineyard & Winery, Livermore, CA

On the first day we will meet as a complete group at the beautiful Garre Vineyard & Winery in nearby Livermore, CA (A shuttle bus will be available to/from the ALOFT hotel). We will learn about challenges faced by X-ray microscopists and how to overcome them. We will also see exclusive updates from the ZEISS X-ray microscopy team including new technology developed to improve the results in your lab. The day will also include ample networking and socializing opportunities.

March 30 – ZEISS Innovation Center California, Dublin, CA

On the second day we will meet at the ZEISS Innovation Center California in Dublin (a shuttle bus will again be available) to see the home of ZEISS X-ray microscopy. Sessions in the lab will provide hands-on time via small groups, to dive into optimizing instrument operation and see additional technologies to help reveal critical insights into your samples. The topics available during the breakout sessions are listed below.

Breakout Sessions on March 30

Designed to improve your XRM expertise and build familiarity with adjacent techniques that could also support your research

Station A XRM: Voice of the Customer	ZEISS takes your feedback seriously. Use this opportunity to have your voice heard Meet with ZEISS XRM personnel from engineering, applications, and marketing to discuss suggestions, recommendations, and likes/dislikes regarding your X-ray microscope The input you provide is used to help direct future R&D initiatives and priorities
Station B 3D X-ray Imaging at the Microscale with Context, Versa, and DCT	Learn how to optimize 3D data collection at the microscale, using either flat panel-based microCT or scintillator-coupled objectives on XRM. Better understand how the different architectures best support different applications, and when you would use each. See how your X-ray system can be used not just for imaging, but also to map grain structures in polycrystalline samples using diffraction contrast tomography (DCT). Understand when and how DCT can help produce a more comprehensive understanding of your sample’s microstructure.
Station C Extending Your 3D Range to the Nanoscale with ZEISS Xradia Ultra	Learn about the fundamentals and applications of synchrotron-like nanotomography in the lab Gain an understanding of the unique application space of X-ray nanotomography (including in situ/4D experiments) See connected workflows with Crossbeam FIB-SEM and Versa X-ray microscope
Station D Multiscale Machining and Characterization by FIB-SEM with Integrated fs-laser	Enjoy an orientation to ZEISS Crossbeam laser, a multi-purpose high-precision focused ion beam – scanning electron microscope with an integrated femtosecond laser for rapid, large material ablation Understand how the laser, ion, and electron beams work together by demonstration of a common cross-sectioning and imaging workflow on a materials engineering sample Learn how such a workflow (and similar variants) can follow 3D XRM imaging to gain a multiscale perspective on critical sample features
Station E High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy: A Powerful Multipurpose Instrument for Every Microscopy Lab	Join for an introduction to field emission SEM for nanoscale imaging and analytics of materials and biological samples Operate the microscope with SmartSEM Touch, an intuitive interface designed so users of all experience levels can arrive at excellent results quickly See how to use ZEN Connect, which provides “Google Earth-like” organization and perspective into multiscale imaging data from camera, to optical, to electron microscopy modalities
Station F Tour of the ZEISS Materials Light Microscopy Suite	Begin with stereo microscopy used for macroscopic inspection and XRM sample preparation/screening Then see how to complement your 3D XRM data with 2D optical methods including microstructural evaluation, quantification, analysis, and surface topography Understand how hardware and image analysis software tie together to create easy end-to-end workflows. ZEN Connect will be demonstrated as a platform for multiscale correlative navigation with other microscopes
Station G Tour of the ZEISS Biological Light Microscopy Suite	This station will provide a brief tour of the ZEISS Microscopy Customer Center’s suite of light microscopes for biological applications. Instruments will include widefield, confocal 3D, light sheet, and automated microscopy systems Experience the power of AI to automatically detect samples on slides , workflows that combine image acquisition and analysis with a single click, and ZEN Connect that can tie it all together as a great story-telling tool
Station H 3D Visualization and Image Processing with Dragonfly Pro	Join a tutorial on some of the latest improvements within ZEISS’s recommended software for XRM data processing, Dragonfly Pro by Object Research Systems Staff from ORS will lead this session, and be available to discuss image processing workflows and take your questions
Station I Tackle your Toughest XRM Applications	The ZEISS X-ray microscopy applications team has some of the most hands-on XRM time of anyone in the world and has worked with all types of samples from A to Z We invite you to arrive to this trouble-shooting session with your toughest challenges in mind. Bring images of your data, details of your samples or procedures, or just descriptions of your difficult cases. (We advise to not bring confidential or sensitive cases to this discussion) Our team will offer customized tips and tricks on anything from sample prep/mounting, to scan setup, to data reconstruction
Station J Tour of the ZEISS Optics and Medical Technology Showroom	The ZEISS facility in Dublin is also home to portions of the Consumer Optics, Vision, and Medical Technology business units Step out of the world of research microscopy for a moment to see how optics are also impacting other aspects of technology development Enjoy a tour of the showroom for an exciting and intriguing look at the latest vision products and medical diagnostic instruments
Station K Tour of the XRM Manufacturing Facility	Dublin, California is not only the home of R&D and design, but also the production of ZEISS X-ray microscopes Take a tour through the new manufacturing floor to see the production team in action, bringing the technology to life day in and day out by building instruments for microscopists worldwide

Present your Work to the XRM Community

Would you like to give a talk at the meeting?

Sharing your experience with the XRM user community is a great way to spread knowledge as well as gain exposure for the work being done in your lab. We invite you to seize this opportunity by submitting a request to share your recent results with the group.

New this year! Students selected to give a presentation will also be eligible for a ‘Students in X-ray Microscopy’ travel scholarship. If you are a full-time student at the time of the User Meeting, and would like to be considered for a scholarship, please make the appropriate selection in the form at the link below and provide the requested information. Scholarships will cover the cost of airfare and hotel (A limited number of presentation slots and student scholarships are available, and submissions will be evaluated as they are received).

Click Here to Request a Speaking Slot (+ student travel scholarship)

Contest

Submit an Entry for the XRM Image or Video Contest

Show off the remarkable visualizations of your XRM data to the rest of the community by entering the image or video contest.

All images or videos must depict data collected on a ZEISS XRM instrument
We encourage you to be as creative as you like regarding how you visualize and present the data
Submissions of videos should be less than 30 seconds long
There is no limit to the number of submissions per person
Entries will be judged on a mix of technical merit and visual aesthetic
Winners of the best image and video will be recognized at the meeting and receive a prize

Click Here to Submit an Image or Video to the Contest

Travel Information

Accommodation, Travel, and Sustainability

Dublin, CA is located in the East Bay Area, and is served by San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose Airports. Public transit via Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train is available from SFO and OAK to the Dublin/Pleasanton Station within 2 miles of the hotel. (www.bart.gov) Otherwise taxi, Uber, or Lyft are all available.

A pre-negotiated rate is available at the ALOFT Dublin-Pleasanton Hotel. Guests staying at this hotel will also have access to a shuttle bus to bring them to/from the User Meeting venues. (Make your hotel reservation by March 7 to receive the discounted rate).

Click Here to Reserve your Hotel Room

New this year! In an effort to reap the benefits of an in-person meeting while upholding ZEISS’s commitment to sustainable business practices, ZEISS will purchase flight carbon offset credits on behalf of any attendee traveling to the event by airplane. Carbon offset credits provide donations to projects that reduce the impacts of carbon emissions. Funded projects undergo independent thrid-party verification to uphold the highest standards of quality.

Learn more about ZEISS’s sustainability efforts here.

Justification Support

The letter below is provided as a simple template to explain to your management the benefits of attending this event, as both a wise investment for your lab/organization as well as a valuable professional development opportunity for you personally. Please feel free to adapt and use as you see fit.

Click Here to Download Justification Letter