About the symposium
MSB 2022 was the 38th edition of the International Symposium on Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis, held at the University of Liège in Belgium over four days, 3–6 July 2022. The symposium carried a distinctly multidisciplinary character, spanning microscale engineering through to separation sciences and their applications.
It was organised by the Society for Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis (SMSB), an independent and non-profit organisation committed to promoting the development and applications of microscale separations.
MSB 2022, the 38th International Symposium on Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis, was convened at the University of Liège in Belgium across four days in early July, welcoming an international gathering of researchers working at the intersection of microscale engineering, separation science and bioanalysis. The event's multidisciplinary scope reflected how analytical chemistry, microfluidics and applied biology now converge around shared questions of resolution, sensitivity and throughput. Held in a historic Belgian academic setting, the symposium offered a fitting backdrop for scientific exchange, and the surrounding city and region provided opportunities for informal discussion well beyond the lecture halls.
The symposium was organised by the Society for Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis, an independent, non-profit body dedicated to promoting the development and practical application of microscale separation techniques. As the host society, SMSB coordinates the recurring meeting while supporting the wider community of scientists and engineers engaged in chip-based and capillary-scale analysis. The presence of a strong organising structure, including international and local committees, ensured that the scientific programme addressed both foundational methodology and emerging application areas, while the society's continuing involvement helps sustain momentum in a field that evolves quickly with each new instrumental advance.
Topics covered across the programme spanned the full breadth of the field: microfluidic and chip-based systems, the engineering of miniaturised separation platforms, and detection strategies suited to ever smaller sample volumes. Alongside these technical strands, sessions addressed biomolecules, medicines and biomarker analysis, highlighting the pharmaceutical and clinical motivations that drive much contemporary work in separations. Short courses and extended educational activities complemented the main schedule, offering participants—from advanced students to experienced practitioners—chances to engage with both established principles and newly emerging trends in nanoscale and microscale analysis.
A scientific award recognised outstanding contributions to microscale separations and bioanalysis, acknowledging the work of researchers and scientists whose efforts have shaped the discipline. The award also served to highlight the mentorship dimension of the community, encouraging young investigators to pursue ambitious projects in separation science. Presentations by invited speakers, contributed abstracts and the poster sessions together created an environment in which novel findings could be introduced, questioned and refined, while flash talks and informal discussion formats gave emerging work a platform for rapid feedback from an expert audience.
Beyond the technical programme, the symposium featured a range of social events that helped build relationships between delegates arriving from many different countries. Shared meals, an evening gathering and organised excursions contributed to a collegial atmosphere in which collaboration often begins. The choice of location placed participants close to well-known Belgian cities and sights, with opportunities to extend a stay and discover the neighbourhood and the wider Ardennes region, as well as destinations such as Ghent and Bruges that carry their own distinctive character and appeal.
Practical information for attendees was clearly signposted, covering registration, participation fees, accommodation near the venue, and the exhibition arrangement that allows companies and vendors to present instruments, consumables and software to an interested scientific audience. Guidelines for authors and abstract submission supported the preparation of contributed presentations, with defined deadlines allowing the programme committee to shape a balanced schedule. Terms and conditions, along with frequently asked questions, ensured that delegates arriving from abroad could plan travel, arrival and onward journeys with confidence and clarity.
The visual identity of the symposium's web presence reflects the same clarity and formality that characterised the meeting itself. A saturated blue header band anchors the page and carries the navigation across the top, paired with a near-black bar and darker footer that frame the content on white and light neutral backgrounds. Typography is set in a straightforward sans-serif throughout, with the small uppercase logo text lending an official tone, while flat colour blocks, square corners and a single large photographic image keep the design direct and unhurried.
Looking back on the 38th edition, MSB 2022 demonstrated how a focused, well-organised meeting can serve as a genuine meeting point for a dispersed scientific community. Bringing together specialists in separations, microfluidics, photonics and analytical instrumentation in a single forum reinforces the value of sustained face-to-face exchange at a time when much scientific discussion has moved online. For participants, the symposium offered technical depth, methodological breadth and a welcoming social environment; for the field at large, it helped consolidate the shared language and common priorities that continue to advance microscale separations and bioanalysis.
Programme at a glance
Preliminary schedule
The full session plan, with talks and breaks, was published as a preliminary schedule for the four-day meeting.
Sunday Short Courses
Hands-on short courses were scheduled on the Sunday preceding the main symposium, 3 July 2022.
Young Scientist Award
The Young Scientist Award formed part of the MSB 2022 programme, recognising early-career researchers attending the meeting.
Main topics
The scientific scope of MSB 2022 was deliberately cross-disciplinary, moving from fundamental microscale engineering to the applied side of separation sciences. Two recurring strands framed the programme:
- Microscale engineering — the design, fabrication and operation of miniaturised analytical systems.
- Separation sciences and their applications — chromatographic and electrophoretic separation methods and the bioanalytical problems they address.
Prices & activities
Registration categories and fees to attend the symposium were listed together with the accompanying activities and catering options for each day of the meeting.
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
| Catering to book | 03/07/2022 |
| List of activities | 03/07/2022 |
| List of activities | 04/07/2022 |
Participating organisations
MSB 2022 drew on a range of supporting organisations, sponsors and media partners across the analytical instrumentation and life-science fields.
- Organised by the Society for Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis (SMSB)
- National supporting research organisations, including the FRS-FNRS and FWO in Belgium
- Gold, silver and bronze sponsors, alongside supporters and media partners