4th European Conference on Aquaphotomics
1. Full Press Release
International Scientists Gather in Ruse for the 4th European Conference on Aquaphotomics
From 23 to 26 September 2026, Ruse, Bulgaria, will host the 4th European Conference on Aquaphotomics, an international scientific forum bringing together researchers from different countries working in the fields of water science, spectroscopy, physics, biology, medicine, quantum systems, food science, agriculture and environmental sciences.
The conference is hosted and primarily organized by “Angel Kanchev” University of Ruse, whose Rector is Prof. Dr. Desislava Atanasova, with the support of Academician Hristo Beloev. Assoc. Prof. Tsvetelina Georgieva serves as Chair of the Organizing Committee.
Aquaphotomics is a new scientific field founded by the Bulgarian scientist Prof. Roumiana Tsenkova of Kobe University, Japan. It studies water and its molecular organization through its interaction with light. Water is considered not merely as a medium in which the processes of life take place, but as a dynamic molecular system capable of reflecting changes and collective organization within the entire system.
In only two decades, Aquaphotomics has developed into a rapidly growing international and interdisciplinary scientific field. According to up-to-date bibliometric data as of September 2026, Aquaphotomics research now spans 16 major scientific fields and 57 subject categories, involving scientists from 37 countries and regions and 144 research institutions. The number of publications has reached 191, with one third resulting from international scientific collaboration.
Among the highlights of the conference will be plenary lectures by leading scientists in Aquaphotomics and in the fundamental study of molecular and quantum systems.
Prof. Zoltán Kovács, Chair of the European Aquaphotomics Committee, will deliver a plenary lecture addressing the development of Aquaphotomics and new opportunities for its application and further expansion in Europe.
Among the distinguished international participants is Dr. Anirban Bandyopadhyay of the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, a physicist and nanotechnologist known for his research into collective molecular dynamics, self-organization and the physical mechanisms through which complex molecular systems can process and transmit information. His research addresses fundamental questions at the interface between molecular organization, quantum physics and the functioning of biological systems.
Prof. Roumiana Tsenkova will also deliver a plenary lecture, presenting a new fundamental direction in Aquaphotomics: its potential as a non-invasive approach for investigating collective molecular organization and as a first experimental stage for identifying processes that can subsequently be examined by direct physical methods for possible manifestations of quantum dynamics.
New research indicates that consecutive observations of water spectral patterns can reveal domains of collective molecular organization and characteristic transitions between them. This opens the possibility of using Aquaphotomics as a non-invasive “window” into the collective dynamics of complex biological and other aqueous systems, helping to identify where and when quantum processes should be investigated using direct physical methods.
The location of the conference carries particular symbolic significance. It is being held in Bulgaria, the home country of the founder of Aquaphotomics, and specifically at “Angel Kanchev” University of Ruse, where Prof. Roumiana Tsenkova received her university education. More than two decades after Aquaphotomics was founded in Japan, its international scientific community is therefore gathering at the university where her scientific journey began.
Today, Aquaphotomics is entering a new stage of development—from using water as a sensitive molecular indicator toward investigating collective molecular organization, coherence and the possible role of quantum processes in living matter.
4th European Conference on Aquaphotomics
23–26 September 2026 | Ruse, Bulgaria
Website: https://www.aqph2026.com
Bibliometric data: OpenAlex, updated 10 September 2026.