Course

Course information

The Maastricht advanced optical microscopy group in Maastricht organizes, already for the 21-st time, a 1-week course on advanced optical microscopy, MMM 2025 starting on 23rd of June 2025. You will find the full program here. You are invited to participate when you always wanted to know more about microscopic imaging.

Aim:
The aim of this one-week course is to introduce, discuss, and experience the technologies and applications of various advanced optical microscopic techniques. Also, tissue and cell preparation protocols and immune-cytochemical procedures will be discussed. Finally, vital imaging and quantification of molecular processes in the cell will be explained and demonstrated.

Target group:
PhD students and Postdocs in the Life Sciences.

Content:
This course is composed of lectures, practical training, and demonstrations on the following topics:
- Basic microscopy
- Fluorescence (spectroscopic) microscopy
- Confocal laser scanning laser microscopy
- Introdution to sample preparation
- Tissue clearing
- Light sheet microscopy
- Super-resolution microscopy (with focus on STED)
- Expansion microscopy: the sample preparation method for resolution improvement
- ExSRRF: the easy way for resolution improvement
- Multiphoton laser scanning laser microscopy
- High-throughput microscopy
- 3D image restoration and image processing
- Raman microscopy
- Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman (CARS) and Coherent Raman Scattering (CRS) microscopy
- Multiphoton Endosocopy

Course approach and Examination

Approach:
Theoretical lectures will be provided in the morning sessions, while practical training, demonstrations, and workshops are planned in the afternoon. You will have the opportunity to discuss your results or view your own microscopic preparations with experts in the field. After subscription you will be enrolled in CANVAS for further information.

Examination:
At the start of the course students will receive by email an open question, dealing with a cell biological problem that should be solved by using microscopic techniques and proper preparation of the sample. Students may do this assignment individually or in small groups. 

Registration

Min/Max students:
Maximum 20 participants

Date:
23-27 June 2025

Location:
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,
Maastricht University Medical Center

Coordinator:
Prof.dr. Marc van Zandvoort and Dr. Dimitris Kapsokalyvas, Dep. of Genetics and Cell Biology
Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht,
tel: +31 43 3881998, mamj.vanzandvoort@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Registration: send registration form to erika.bemelmans@maastrichtuniversity.nl  
Cost course: € 350,-
Period: 23-27 June  
Programme: read more about the programme 

Website: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/genetics-and-cell-biology/education