From September 23 to 27, 2024, AURORA researchers joined more than 800 scientists from around the world for MICRO 2024 in Lanzarote, Spain. The five-day scientific conference featured hundreds of platform presentations, poster presentations, and a novel walking talk format that brought small groups together to discuss and share the latest science in quiet corners around the old town of Arrecife.
Barbara Scholz-Boettcher, Laurens Mandemaker, and Justin Boucher presented some of the latest scientific findings and ongoing efforts from within AURORA as both platform and poster presentations. This included on AURORA’s ongoing exposure study in Utrecht, the Netherlands as well as progress in creating and characterizing nanoplastics for better analysis.
Covering the full span of plastic pollution research from monitoring and toxicology to social science and policymaking, the conference provided a valuable platform to exchange insights and learn from each other’s experiences.
The conference series was developed to recognize the growing number of researchers and policymakers concerned about the challenge of plastic pollution from macro to nano, with a core focus on microplastics. The bi-annual event helps to (i) facilitate open access to the breadth of emerging & ongoing research in the field, (ii) identify current research frontiers and new challenges, and (iii) stimulate collaboration within the continuously expanding research community.
The full conference program as well as all the presentation abstracts are publicly available to explore and download from the conference’s site. Information about the possible next edition of the conference in will be announced in the coming months.
Sadly, the closing of such an inspiring conference also brought somber news. Juan Baztán, a good colleague to many and a leading organizer of the MICRO conferences, passed away in an accident during the event. Collectively, Juan’s passion for the work, unrestrained expressions of love and respect for his colleagues, and drive for environmental justice and scientific excellence were the exceptional qualities that made him stand out within the field. Our condolences and thoughts are with his family and with his many other friends and colleagues. You can read more about Juan’s legacy in El Mundo.
Reference
MICRO 2024 Conference (September 2024).
