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Welcome

Join us in London in April 2027 for this edition of the Faraday Discussion series, unique international discussion meetings that address current and emerging topics at the forefront of the physical sciences.

This Discussion, the third Discussion on SERS,  aims to address the pressing challenges and opportunities in SERS, tackling challenges in reproducibility, quantitative analysis, and the real-world applicability of SERS technologies.

As well as those researchers working directly on SERS, we encourage the involvement of researchers from other areas to discuss and establish where their experience could enhance the understanding and capabilities of SERS, or where SERS could be useful for them, what their disciplines need from the technique, and how it could be adapted and implemented to suit their applications. For example, the Discussion will be relevant to computational physicists, catalysis researchers, those investigating solid-state and heterogeneous systems, researchers in batteries and fuel cells, clinicians, biomedical engineers, medical device manufacturers, data scientists and analytical chemists.

This is an unmissable opportunity to share and discover new work, reconnect with colleagues and catalyse new collaborations to inspire innovative solutions.

On behalf of the organising committee, we look forward to welcoming you to London.

Karen Faulds and Duncan Graham (Co-chairs)

Why attend?

Find out more about Faraday Discussions in the video and FAQs – see Useful links on the right.

A unique conference format that prioritises discussion

At a Faraday Discussion, the primary research papers written by the speakers are distributed to all participants before the meeting – ensuring that most of the meeting is devoted to discussing the latest research.

This provides a genuinely collaborative environment, where discussion and debate are at the foreground. All delegates, not just speakers, are invited to make comments, ask questions, or present complementary or contradictory measurements and calculations.

An exciting programme of talks – and more

Take part in a well-balanced mix of talks, discussion, poster sessions and informal networking, delivered by our expert events team. You can explore the full programme in the downloadable files on the right – whether you’re attending in-person or online, every minute provides an opportunity.

The conference dinner, included in the registration fee, contains the Marlow Cup ceremony: a unique commemoration of past Faraday Discussion organisers that is sure to encourage further discussions over dinner.

In-depth discussion with leaders in the field

World-leading and established researchers connect with each other and early-career scientists and postgraduate students to discuss the latest research and drive science forwards. It’s a unique atmosphere – and challenging others to get to the heart of the problem is encouraged!

Your contributions, published and citable

A citable record of the discussion is published in the Faraday Discussions journal, alongside the research papers. Questions, comments and remarks become a valuable part of the published scientific conversation, and every delegate can make a major contribution.

Discover London

The Discussion will take place in London. Step out to explore the city while you're here - or stay a few extra days to explore the city further and the surrounding area.

Themes

Nanoplasmonics in SERS

This session will focus on plasmonic materials for SERS enhancement, including discussion of novel enhancing materials, their optical properties and how they contribute to SERS enhancement, the fundamentals behind SERS enhancement and sensitive analysis with state-of-the-art approaches for modelling plasmonic effects.

SERS in catalysis and energy applications

The aim of this session will be to discuss recent progress in the application of SERS in catalysis and energy, to establish what adaptations are required for SERS to be adoptable in this field, and to determine the enhancing surfaces that are most suited for these applications.

Biological and medical applications of SERS

This session will bring together clinicians, biomedical engineers and researchers to discuss the challenges of translating SERS into clinical applications. Papers will include the most recent progress in SERS for clinical diagnostics and in the life sciences, the development of biocompatible and reproducible SERS substrates, detection of novel biomarkers for disease diagnostics, and the development of reproducible, robust and cost-effective test platforms for clinical translation.

Quantitative sensing by SERS

While SERS is a sensitive and quantitative technique, reproducibility and lack of standardisation have been major challenges in its widespread adoption. This session will discuss novel and sophisticated methods that standardise SERS for quantitative detection in chemical and biomedical applications. This will include recent advances in machine learning and AI methodologies, with the aim of establishing how these can be integrated accurately and responsibly.