The 15th Guo Kexin Summer School on Electron Microscopy and Crystallography and the 2024 International Symposium on Cryo-EM were held at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) from Aug 7 to 14.

Participants at the 15th Guo Kexin Summer School on Electron Microscopy and Crystallography & the 2024 International Symposium on Cryo-EM pose for a group photo. [Photo/WeChat account: BSC] 

More than 500 experts, scholars and students from renowned institutions such as Stanford University, the University of California, Oxford University, the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Tsinghua University and the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), gathered in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to explore the latest breakthroughs and future trends in cryo-EM.

Han Xiaodong, acting vice-president of SUSTech, delivers an opening address. [Photo/WeChat account: BSC] 

In his opening address, Han Xiaodong, acting vice-president of SUSTech, extended greetings to the visiting scientists, experts, scholars and students and expected the symposium to stimulate innovative thinking and advance research in electron microscopy and crystallography in China.

Zhang Mingjie, dean of the School of Life Sciences at SUSTech and a CAS academician, addresses the opening ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account: BSC] 

Addressing the opening ceremony, Zhang Mingjie, dean of the School of Life Sciences at SUSTech and a CAS academician, said that the symposium and summer school brought together distinguished scholars in electron microscopy and crystallography. The valuable academic reports, poster presentations and exchange opportunities created a platform for equal dialogue and active collaboration.

The symposium featured more than 50 speakers discussing cutting-edge topics such as new technologies and methods in cryo-EM, cellular structure research on complex systems, novel approaches in and applications of in situ structural biology and advancements in electron microscopy boosted by AI. 

A dedicated forum for new scientists saw eight young researchers presenting their latest findings, showcasing the rapid development of cryo-EM in China. With over 100 pieces of high-end cryo-EM equipment in the country, there is a pressing need for talent cultivation in the area.

Prior to the symposium, a two-day summer program that attracted more than 90 participants provided hands-on training and direct technical guidance, further advancing the applications of cryo-EM across various disciplines.