01:146:350 Introduction to Light Microscopy for the Life Sciences

This minicourse offers a comprehensive exploration of advanced imaging techniques essential for studying tissues, cells, and organelles in the life sciences. Through a blend of lectures and hands-on laboratory sessions, students will be introduced to a diverse array of methodologies, enabling them to investigate biological structures across various scales, ranging from molecules to organisms. The course will cover a spectrum of imaging modalities, including conventional light microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, cutting-edge high-resolution light microscopy, and electron microscopy. Additionally, students will explore optical approaches for probing cellular dynamics, encompassing calcium and voltage imaging, as well as molecular interactions. Each class session will commence with a detailed lecture segment providing theoretical foundations and conceptual frameworks. This will be followed by immersive laboratory sessions where students, often working collaboratively in teams, will tackle real-world cellular physiological problems. Throughout these sessions, students will not only gain practical experience in utilizing microscopy techniques but will also acquire essential skills in basic cell biology techniques such as cell handling and probe introduction. It can be used to satisfy the laboratory requirement of the CBN major. Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Cell Biology (01:146:270) or Essentials of CBN (01:146:295).

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