BIO432/532 Light Microscopy

This course covers the principles behind light microscopy, from the properties of light to the latest technologies in microscopy. Students will get hands-on experience with the different kinds of microscopes, including the laser scanning confocal microscope. The course also covers fluorescent probes, advanced fluorescence techniques, digital imaging, methods of quantification and figure preparation for publication, with an emphasis on biological applications. Offered in the fall. 

Photoblog: Each week during the class the students bring in an object – it can be anything – and take a picture of it through a microscope, then post it to the class photoblog. As we make our way through the semester, they learn new techniques, which start to pop up in the posts. At the end of semester, we hold a microscopy photo competition. See this year's competition entries and winners here. 

Light Microscopy Resources

• Resources on the JMU Light Microscopy Facility Website (mostly curated and not written by me)

• Very basic intro to using ImageJ. For the complete newbie.

• Data management tips for microscopists (geared toward undergraduate students).

• Data Management Plan tips (geared toward people writing grants).

• Book chapter on using fluorescence fluctuation to study cell adhesion and signaling. This book chapter provides practical guidelines for conducting fluorescence fluctuation experiments in living cells; however, much of the information is broadly applicable to other high spatiotemporal resolution fluorescence measurements in living cells.

• Review of rigor and reproducibility considerations for core facilities. Includes short synopses of recent studies by research groups of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF).