QUANTITATIVE IMAGING:
FROM CELLS TO MOLECULES
April 3 - 16, 2013
Application Deadline: January 31, 2013

Instructors:
Torsten Wittmann, University of California San Francisco
Jennifer Waters, Harvard University

Co-Instructors:
Lisa Cameron, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Bo Huang, University of California San Francisco
Max Krummel, University of California San Francisco

See the roll of honor - who's taken the course in the past

This course will focus on advanced quantitative fluorescence microscopy techniques used for imaging a range of biological specimens, from cells to single molecules. The course is designed for cell and molecular biologists with little or no microscopy experience, who wish to begin utilizing microscopy in their own research. Students will gain a theoretical understanding of, and hands-on experience with, state-of-the-art equipment used in quantitative fluorescence microscopy, including: laser scanning and spinning disk confocal microscopy, deconvolution methods, total internal fluorescence microscopy (TIRF), super-resolution methods (structured illumination, STORM, and PALM), and digital image processing and analysis. Students will learn how to design and implement a wide range of imaging experiments using these techniques. Students will use the techniques to address specific quantitative questions and then discuss the results as a group, learning to trouble-shoot the common problems that occur in the course of a quantitative imaging experiment. Among the lectures presented are: microscopy basics, CCD cameras, confocal microscopy, multi-photon microscopy, deconvolution, TIRF, single molecule imaging, imaging ratio-metric “biosensors” (including FRET), and super-resolution techniques. Students will also learn specimen preparation for microscopy, including fixation and immunofluorescence in tissue culture cells, choosing fluorescent proteins, working with live samples requiring environmental control, and more.

This course is supported with funds provided by the National Cancer Institute