Postdoc and PhD course on Advanced Optical Microscopy 2026​

Course information

The Maastricht advanced optical microscopy group in Maastricht organizes, already for the 22-nd time, a 1-week course on advanced optical microscopy, MMM 2026 starting on 23rd of November 2026. 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

Location

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,

Maastricht University Medical Center