MecaNano Workshop on In Situ Electron Microscopy in Toulouse

From January 26 to 28, 2026, the "In situ Electron Microscopy Workshop" took place at CEMES-CNRS in Toulouse, France. The event was organized by the European research initiative MecaNano (COST Action 21121), which is chaired by Prof. Dr. Benoit Merle.

The workshop brought together European experts in nanomechanics for an intensive program combining scientific talks with hands-on demonstrations. The focus was on in situ deformation techniques (TEM and SEM), covering everything from experimental setups to data analysis for mechanical testing on crystalline and metallic structural materials. With a program featuring in situ nanoindentation, microcompression, and tensile testing, the event provided a valuable platform for scientific exchange on experimental deformation strategies across a wide range of length scales—from just a few micrometers up to macroscopic samples.

The Department of Mechanical Behavior of Materials was represented in Toulouse by Prof. Dr. Benoit Merle, who attended not only in his capacity as MecaNano Chair but also contributed to the scientific program as a speaker.

MecaNano is a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, funded under Horizon Europe for a four-year period. The international network connects over 600 researchers from 48 countries dedicated to advancing the multiscale understanding of the mechanical behavior of nanostructured materials.

A special thank you goes to Dr. Marc Legros for his outstanding on-site organization and the fascinating lab tours at CEMES-CNRS. Thanks to the strong commitment of everyone involved, the workshop was a complete success, further advancing the state of the art in in situ electron microscopy and mechanical testing!