Applied Fluorescence and Microscopy in Biophysics

This course will start with an introduction to fluorescence and gradually advance towards using it for modern-day research, with a maximum emphasis on biophysical studies. We will talk about the different applications of fluorescence that can be used for experiments in bulk studies (as in a fluorimeter) and on individual objects (as in microscopy). The attendants will be welcome to see our microscope facilities for hands-on experience with the acquired knowledge.

This would be an interactive course using slides and hand drawings on boards.

Covered topics:

·       Introduction to fluorescence and how to harness for biophysics

·       Lasers (types and principle of work); Optical tweezers; Light-matter interaction

·       Confocal microscope; Two-photon microscope; Second harmonic generation

·      -Different types of super resolution microscopy

·       General polarization; Dye orientation; Fluorescence life-time imaging microscopy (FLIM)

·       Recap after holidays; Light-sheet microscopy

·       Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS); Raster image correlation spectroscopy (RICS); Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP)

·       Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET); Quenching; Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF); Mass interferometry

·       Other kinds of imaging microscopy: differential interference contrast (DIC), phase contrast, dark field, bright field

·       Recap of whole course + discussions of latest papers on the techniques learnt

Please contact Shreya Pramanik Shreya.Pramanik@mpikg.mpg.de and Agustin Mangiarotti Agustin.Mangiarotti@mpikg.mpg.de for more information.