Synchrotron Radiation Infrared Microspectroscopy has experienced spectacular growth in the last 10 years. The high brightness and coherence of the synchrotron IR beam allows one to obtain spectroscopic information at high spatial resolution with high signal/noise ratios, optimal for the analysis of particles or cells, and for obtaining bidimensional maps of specific microscopic areas of the sample. For this reason, the technique is finding application in numerous scientific areas, including: biomaterials, medicine, geology, solid state, forensic analysis, chemical and industrial analysis,cultural heritage and polymeric and ceramic materials.

Currently there are around 20 Synchrotron IR beamlines, and new IR microespectrocopy beamlines are planned in most of the new synchrotrons throughout the world. In particular, a proposal has been developed for building a dedicated beamline in the new Spanish synchrotron ALBA. ALBA is under construction in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona) and will be operational in 2010.

Miras 2008 established a forum for discussion (nearly 100 scientists from most of the areas) where proposals defining the future needs of the IR community in Spain were collected and the base for a new IR Microspectroscopy beamline for ALBA was decided. More information about the proposal may be found at MIRAS2. The objectives of this second meeting are, on the one hand, to bring together the Spanish Synchrotron IR Microspectroscopy users community, and on the other, to stimulate the use of Synchrotron light in the Infrared Spectroscopy users community.

The meeting will include a series of talks from international experts from diverse scientific areas that will present the most recent advances in the field.