Raman spectroscopy and related techniques: state of the art and future directions in Italy

The 20th Italian Conference on Raman Spectroscopy and non-linear effects was held in Catania in June 2007. 1 had the pleasure to chair the Conference in which scientists from different countries shared their research activities, started new collaborations and straightened the existing ones. For the first time in the GNSR history, the contributors were invited to present papers suitable to be collected in a Special Issue of a peer-reviewed journal and the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy has been chosen for its long tradition on Raman spectroscopy and related fields. This Special Issue is dedicated to the memory of Giorgio Mattei who recently passed away. It includes 28 contributions reporting results and new ideas on material science, biochemistry, astrophysics and science of cultural heritage. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.