The selective practical course “Live cell imaging” is an intensive educational block focused on the investigation of living cells and whole organisms using light and fluorescence microscopy. During the course, participants will learn about a wide range of instruments using a variety of methods suitable for imaging live specimens. They will learn what methods can be chosen for a given type of specimen, what their advantages are, as well as what their limitations and shortcomings are. They will also learn about the possibilities of studying the kinetics of processes in living cells and the procedures for preparing samples containing living cells, tissues and organisms.

The morning of each of the three days is filled with lectures on microscopy systems and methods, including several short scientific papers aimed at demonstrating the data that can be obtained by these approaches. The emphasis is then primarily on the afternoon practical part of the course, where participants will try their hand at working with a selection of microscopes on real live specimens. During the hands-on sessions, participants will be motivated to actively participate in the set-up of each instrument, data acquisition and subsequent data evaluation. Day one will focus primarily on widefield systems, day two will focus on confocal methods, and day three will cover advanced methods including superresolution and kinetic measurements.