Fluorescence microscopy has undergone dramatic progress in the past years and constitutes a central tool in the life sciences. The lecture is aimed at biology, neuroscience, data science, and physics students and reflects the interdisciplinary character of modern microscopy. Surpassing the diffraction resolution limit of light microscopy constituted a major breakthrough that was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014. In the course, special emphasis will be placed on diffraction-unlimited microscopy, aka nanoscopy or super-resolution microscopy, like STED, RESOLFT, PALM, STORM. We will also cover advanced sample preparation schemes like expansion microscopy which increases effective spatial resolution by isotropically expanding the sample rather than increasing instrument resolution. Further state-of-the-art optical methods will be discussed that allow the analysis cellular ensembles in tissues (including Ca2+ imaging, two-photon imaging, light sheet microscopy and its variants) as well as the strategies to specifically label target structures. The course should not only convey the pertinent concepts but also provide a basis to choose suitable methods and tools in the framework of one's own PhD or postdoctoral research. Likewise it should become clear what the current state of the field is and where these methods need further development. The course will comprise both lecture and mainly interactive sessions, and, within practical limits depending on the number of participants, hands-on sessions on diffraction-unlimited microscopy.
Target group: The lecture is aimed at students (and postdocs) from the life sciences, engineering, and physics.
Prerequisites: There are no specific prerequisites. Care will be taken that the material is accessible both for students with a physics background and those with a life science background.
Evaluation: Evaluation will be based on participation in the form of discussions and paper presentation/discussion and a 1:1 discussion at the end of the course.
Teaching format: Key concepts will be taught in interactive lectures held online. Students will also be assigned papers that they should analyze and discuss in a “journal club” style.
ECTS: 3 Year: 2020
Teacher(s):
Johann Danzl
Teaching assistant(s):
If you want to enroll to this course, please click: REGISTER
- Teacher: Johann Danzl
- Teaching Assistant: Julia Michalska
- Teaching Assistant: Jakob Vorlaufer