Course Description

An interdisciplinary introduction to modern biological microscopy techniques. Students will be introduced to all aspects of preparing and imaging biological samples. Students will prepare samples for fluorescence imaging and use different microscopes. Specific topics covered will change from year to year.

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Athena Title

Biological Microscopy

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Prerequisite

Permission of department

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Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

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Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to • Explain the differences between different types of microscopes (widefield, confocal, etc.) and choose the appropriate instrument for an experiment. • Measure the point spread function of a microscope and calculate the resolution. • Choose fluorophores, filters, and excitation sources for an imaging experiment. • Label and fix tissue culture cells for imaging.

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Topical Outline

• Basic optics • Microscope optics, numerical aperture, and resolution • Fluorescence, optical filters • Widefield microscopy • Confocal and multiphoton microscopy • Sample staining • Light-sheet microscopy • Basic image processing • Superresolution microscopy

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