Optical Microscopy & Imaging in the Biomedical Sciences Directors: Colin Izzard, State University of New York, Albany; and Robert Hard, University at Buffalo Course Dates: September 27 - October 7, 2012 Online Application Form , Deadline: June 22, 2012 2011 Course Schedule (PDF)

This course is designed primarily for research scientists, physicians, postdoctoral trainees, and advanced graduate students in animal, plant, medical, and material sciences. Non-biologists seeking a comprehensive introduction to microscopy and video imaging will benefit greatly from the course. There are no specific prerequisites, but an understanding of the basic principles of optics is desirable. Limited to 26 students. This eight-day course consists of lectures, laboratory exercises, demonstrations, and discussions that will enable the participant to obtain and interpret microscope images of high quality, to perform quantitative optical measurements, and to produce video, and digital records for documentation and analysis.

Topics to be covered include: (a) principles of microscope design and image formation; (b) bright and dark-field, phase contrast, polarized light, differential interference contrast, interference reflection, and fluorescence microscopy; (c) confocal scanning mircoscopy, multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscopy, digital image restoration, and 3-D reconstruction; (d) video imaging, recording, enhancement, and intensification; (e) analog and digital image processing and analysis; and (f) fluorescent probes and ratiometric-imaging. Application of the optical methods to live cells will be emphasized. Other specimens will also be covered.

Students will have direct hands-on experience with state-of-the-art microscopes, video cameras, recorders, and image processing equipment provided by major optical and electronics companies. Instruction will be provided by experienced staff from universities and industry. Students are encouraged to bring their own biological and material specimens, and to discuss individual research problems with the faculty.

2011 Course Faculty:

Frank Bright, University of Buffalo SUNY
Richard Day, Indiana University School of Medicine
Joseph DePasquale, Morphogenyx Inc.
Frederick Lanni, Carnegie Mellon University
Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, NICHD
James McNally, National Institutes of Health
John Murray, University of Pennsylvania
Wade Sigurdson, University at Buffalo
Clare Waterman, NIH/NHLBI