BTLW000928 Advanced light and chemical microscopy in life science

Type
Lecture and exercise
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Göhring, Janett , Schrangl, Lukas
Organisation
Biotechnology and Food Science
Offered in
Sommersemester 2026
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

The course will give an introduction to Basic Light and Fluorescence Microscopy (fundamental optical principles, as well as sample preparation strategies) and give an introduction to Advanced imaging strategies (single-molecule localization and tracking techniques, super-resolution techniques, as welle as label-free imaging). The course will also cover the design of meaningful experiments for fixed and live specimen. Intermittent exercises in image analysis will be offered for most common analysis strategies (artefact removal, colocalizations, image segmentation, object identification, strategies for time-lapse microscopy).
Previous knowledge expected

Basic knowledge in cell biology is recommended, not obligatory. This course is specifically recommended for Master students interested in Microscopy or for PhD-students who plan to acquire microscopy images from their object of interest.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

By the end of the course, students will demonstrate the basic principles and applications of microscopy in the life sciences by operating brightfield and fluorescence microscopes by using standard operating procedures. They will be able to select the appropriate microscope and design an experiment including the proper controls for their individual application. Furthermore, students will be able to identify important aspects of the different techniques, critically interpret results, and perform basic troubleshooting. They will assess advanced microscopical techniques (e.g., confocal, spinning disk, TIRF, multiphoton, super-resolution) by extracting and comparing principles, resolution limits, and typical artefacts. In a practical exercise, students will plan and execute an end-to-end imaging experiment (sample preparation → acquisition → analysis → reporting) within a 4-hour window. Their recorded data will be used to implement a reproducible image-analysis pipeline (denoising, background correction, segmentation, quantification) using ImageJ and CellProfiler. The students will establish a workflow that prioritizes experimental design, image analysis, and documentation to follow to criteria of good scientific practice.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.