EMBO Practical Course in Advanced Optical Microscopy
Co-sponsored by MRC, the Company of Biologists, the Journal of Cell Science and the Royal Microscopical Society
The Marine Biological Association,
The Laboratory,
Citadel Hill,
Plymouth,
PL1 2PB,
U.K.
Tel: +44 (0)1752-633337
Fax: +44(0)1752-262043
www.mba.ac.uk
Email: alexa@mba.ac.uk (Prof Colin Brownlee and Mrs Alexandra Street)
Website: http://www.mba.ac.uk/embopracticalcourse.php
Click here for Draft Timetable
The course takes place in the Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association from Wednesday 21 – Saturday 31 March 2012. Accommodation comprises bed and breakfast in local guesthouse (nights Wednesday 21 March — Friday 30 March inclusive), lunch in the MBA common room, and evening meals can be taken in local restaurants.
Timetable
There will be 2–3 lectures each day throughout. The first 3 days will be spent setting up microscopes for brightfield and epifluorescence microscopy, including polarisation and interference contrast methods. The final 6 days will be organised in rotations around the 9 experiments listed below. The experiments will be in the large classroom at the MBA and in rooms nearby. Use will be made of marine specimens where possible and student may have an opportunity to trawl for benthos and plankton, depending on weather and availability of the MBA research vessel.
Developmental Biology
1, 2 2 experiments with confocal imaging
3 CCD imaging and deconvolution, microinjection, genetically encoded probes, gene gun
Cell Physiology
4 Confocal imaging with electrophysiology
5 CCD imaging with electrophysiology
6 Photolysis and photometry
7 Total internal reflection fluorescence imaging
8 Laser traps
9 Marine bioluminescence
Special demonstrations and hands-on exercises
Preparations
Preparations used will include: invertebrate preparations (tunicates, molluscan neurones), zebra fish, mammalian brain slices, Fucus, Arabidopsis, and cell lines.
Poster Session
Students at the course will be invited to display an A2 poster of their current research and time will be allocated for presentation and discussion.
Applications
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS HAS NOW PASSED, thank you for your interest.
Fees
There will be a registration fee for students accepted on the course of 350 euros, but it may be possible to waive this fee in case of difficulty in paying, particularly for students from Eastern Europe. Accommodation, breakfast and lunches are included. Students who wish to request help towards fees should clearly indicate this in their application, and in their covering letter. However, candidates from industry who are accepted as students will be required to pay 1000 euro to the MBA.
Travel Costs
A very limited amount of funding for students’ travel costs will be available. This will be distributed according to country of origin, following EMBO guidelines. Students who wish to claim travel expenses should clearly indicate this in their application.
Timetable
Each day, there will be two lectures in the morning (probably 9.00 and 11.00), then practical work, and a lecture in the early evening, probably 6 pm.
Enquiries can be directed to Mrs Alexandra Street at alexa@mba.ac.uk
Pre-course reading
Dr Brad Amos’ lecture at the Royal Society (45 mins) on revolutionary microscopy: http://royalsociety.org/events/2012/optical-microscope/ (click ‘Watch the video’)
