European and Japanese Molecular Liquids Group annual meeting EMLG-JMLG 2024 in Trieste

From September 8th to 13th, the 2024 edition of the annual meeting of the European Molecular Liquids Group (EMLG) and the Japanese Molecular Liquids Group (JMLG), jointly organized by Barbara Rossi of Elettra Sincrotrone and Marco Paolantoni of the University of Perugia took place in Trieste. The conference has been sponsored by Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and hosted by ICTP.

The EMLG and JMLG groups are networks of researchers focused on studying the structure, dynamics, and interactions of molecules within liquid systems. Since 1982, international conferences have been organized in various countries, addressing molecular aspects of fluids across Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The primary goal of these interdisciplinary conferences is to bring together scientists working in the field, fostering international collaboration and facilitating the exchange of information between researchers and students.

This annual meeting focused on the latest experimental, theoretical and computational findings related to the structure and dynamics of hydrogen-bonded systems. Special emphasis was placed on water, water mixtures, and the hydration properties of biorelevant systems, including proteins, biological membranes, DNA, viruses and aqueous interfaces. Ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents were also deeply examined from both fundamental and technological perspectives. Additionally, traditional topics of within the realm of the physical chemistry of molecular liquids were considered, including pure liquids and mixtures, supercritical fluids, and glassy and dispersed systems.

More of 100 leading scientists and researchers from around the world, including European nations, Japan, USA, Ukraine, Australia and China enthusiastically attend the meeting. The conference featured a robust agenda with seven keynote and 5 invited speakers, 50 contributed talks, and 25 poster presentations, with significant international reach and impact. A key highlight of the event was the extraordinary participation of young researchers and PhD students, three of them were recognized with prestigious poster awards.