Microscopy Course (Lectures)

The (pre-semester) microscopy course is organized by the Imaging & Optics Facility (IOF) and aims to generate the understanding of how to design your experiments using matching imaging techniques. We explain the fundamental knowledge required to understand the concepts of different microscopy technologies and image analysis procedures.
As a red line we aim to raise awareness of the importance of proper data acquisition and the timely image analysis assessments during essay establishment: timely assay-evaluation is critical to determine if the fundamental ‘properties of process of interest’ can be resolved and quantified by the used imaging approaches. To this aim, participants will be introduced to contemporary microscopy techniques, with a focus on the methods that are available at ISTA campus. Lectures will cover microscopy-related principles of optics, anatomy of the microscope, principles of fluorescence, sample preparation, methods of optical sectioning, image acquisition methods, super-resolution technologies, basics of electron microscopy and the basics of data analysis.
Due to a limited number of seats for the “on-system demonstration” – that are part of the course for full ECTS score, the registration for the “Lectures only” provides the opportunity to still join all lectures and the image analysis section. After successfully completing the exam – still 1 ECTS is provided.

Target group: Course is open to all Students and/or Postdocs, with an emphasis on using optical microscopy techniques during their projects. We would prioritize new PhD students.

Prerequisites: This is a crash-course providing an overview of all common microscopy technologies - although there are no prerequisits, the course is 'high content' - commitment to active participation is a requirement therefore.

Evaluation: Participation (presence required) + final examination (questionnaire + image analysis scripting assignment)

Teaching format: (hybrid) lecture combined with on-system demonstrations:
- week 1: 3 x half days + 3 x half day -> introduction lectures + 'on system demonstrations'
- week 2: 2 x half days -> tech lectures + system demo's + image analysis

ECTS: 1 Year: 2025

Track segment(s):
Service

Teacher(s):
Josephine Pfeifer Sabine Mansky Alazne Dominguez Monedero Marco Dalla Vecchia Bernhard Hochreiter Tereza Belinova Maximilian Schuster Yann Cesbron Mohammad Goudarzi Suyash Naik Christoph Sommer Nasser Darwish-Miranda Doreen Milius Ludek Lovicar Robert Hauschild Gabriel Krens

Teaching assistant(s):