Volume Electron Microscopy by Automated Serial SEM

Overview

Course Overview

Recent developments in scanning electron microscopes (SEM) have led to ground-breaking opportunities in volume imaging of cells and tissues. The aim of the course is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge on the 3 main techniques for automated serial imaging based on SEM (ASI-SEM): microtome-based serial block-face SEM, focused ion beam SEM and array tomography. At the issue of the course, the participants will be able to assess the potentials of each technique and which fit best to their own scientific project. The participants will acquire the theoretical background to understand the different techniques as well as to optimize the imaging conditions. Data processing, analysis and management will be covered, as they are inherent key considerations to all ASI-SEM techniques. An important fraction of the course will be devoted to hands-on experimentation on i) sample preparation adapted to each ASI-SEM technique ii) operation of the hardware (SEMs, automated microtomes) iii) image processing software (stack registration, segmentation, tracing).

The course will bring together some of the world experts in this new imaging field for biologists. They will share their expertise and trigger a new network of scientists that will together contribute to a better dissemination and use of ASI-SEM.

Audience

This course will address a large audience in the life sciences community, in particular (but not exclusively) cell and developmental biology, neurosciences, etc. Participants should preferably have prior experience in cellular electron microscopy, not necessarily in volume EM. The course is open to early career researchers (PhD students and post-docs) as well as facility staff who are starting or intend to start working with volume SEM techniques.

Modules/Resources

• Serial Blockface SEM (SBEM)
• Focused Ion Beam SEM (FIB-SEM)
• Array Tomography
• Biological sample preparation
• Image post-processing, analysis and visualisation

Learning Outcomes

Dissemination of the ASI-SEM techniques across the Life Sciences community. Extensive theoretical and practical knowledge on the main techniques for automated serial imaging based on SEM (ASI-SEM).

Speakers

Marianne Sandvold Beckwith

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Ilya Belevich

University of Helsinki

Finland

Mandy Boermel

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Lucy Collinson

The Francis Crick Institute

United Kingdom

Christel Genoud

Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI)

Switzerland

Julian Hennies

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Knott_Graham Graham Knott

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Switzerland

Anna Kreshuk

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Pedro Machado

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Rachel Mellwig

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Kimberly Meechan

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Paolo Ronchi

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Nicole Schieber

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Martin Schorb

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Meike Schurr

Max Planck Institute for Brain Research

Germany

Yannick Schwab

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Christian Stigloher

University of Würzburg

Germany

Rachel Templin

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Christian Tischer

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Benjamin Titze

Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI)

Switzerland

Richard Webb

The University of Queensland

Australia

Shan Xu

HHMI-Janelia Research Campus

USA

Trainers from industry

• Tilman Franke, ThermoFisher Scientific, USA
• Ingo Gestmann, ThermoFisher Scientific, Germany
• Bernhard Goetze, ThermoFisher Scientific, Germany
• Heinz Horstmann, ThermoFisher Scientific/University of Heidelberg, Germany
• Meghna Hukeri, ThermoFisher Scientific, USA
• Emine Korkmaz, ThermoFisher Scientific, Germany
• Thorben Kurz, Leica, Germany
• Stefan Mocko, ThermoFisher Scientific, Czech Republic
• Anna Lena Eberle, Zeiss, Germany
• Eric Hummel, Zeiss, Germany
• Joerg Lindenau, Zeiss, Germany
• Ralph Neujahr, Zeiss, Germany
• Stuart Searle, ConnectomX, UK
• Helmut Gnaegi, Diatome, Switzerland
• Roland Ries, Gatan, Germany
• Katsuyuki Suzuki, JEOL, Japan
• Lukas Baran, Science Services, Germany

Scientific Organisers

Christel Genoud

Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI)

Switzerland

Pedro Machado

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Nicole Schieber

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Yannick Schwab

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Course Organisers

Christina Dollt

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Elisabeth Wintersteller

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Programme