COMS

Invited speakers are experts in the field of bioelectrochemistry and the related specialties of biophysics, cell biology, developmental biology, electrochemistry, bioelectromagnetics, and medicine as they relate to the effects of weak and strong electric fields on membranes, cells, and tissues. The Conference will bring together a collection of investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work at both the GRS and the GRC in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. Some poster presenters will be selected for short talks within the GRS or the GRC. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented.

These efforts have been aided by the development of increasingly sensitive experimental techniques and analytical probes to characterize and understand corrosion processes on a scale unimaginable a decade ago. In addition, it has proven necessary to adopt a combined experimental/modelling/computational approach, not only to determine essential basic mechanisms but also to determine reliable life predictions and fitness-for-service guidelines for major infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants, gas transmission pipelines and household water supply networks.

Many of these gains have required corrosion scientists to interface with other disciplines of chemistry, physics and engineering. It is this interdisciplinary approach which makes the study of corrosion science particularly challenging and interesting.

This meeting will continue the multidisciplinary trend established in recent meetings. It will discuss modern experimental, computational and theoretical developments in a range of areas of corrosion science, as well as attempting to cross the boundaries to other complementary disciplines of science and engineering. In so doing it will provide an outstanding forum for information exchange and the dissemination of improved understanding for both experienced leaders and inexperienced students in the field.