Course Directors: Ron Vale, Nico Stuurman, and Kurt Thorn
Light microscopy has become one of the most useful tools in the life sciences. This free online comprehensive series begins with the basics of optics, proceeds through transmitted light microscopy, covers the various methods of imaging fluorescent samples, describes how cameras work and image processing, and concludes with some of the latest advances in light microscopy. In addition to lectures, we also provide labs (filmed at a microscope) and short tips, so as to cover pragmatics of how to use microscopes. Assessments are provided for each lecture. Enjoy learning microscopy! Note that each section header is a link and will lead to additional videos not displayed on this page.
SEE FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THE SERIES >>
Introduction
Image Formation
Refractive Lenses and Image Formation
Objective Lenses and Eyepieces
Huygens Wavelets Constructive/Destructive Interference, and Diffraction
Point Spread Function
Resolution of a Microscope
Microscope Imaging and Koehler Illumination
Contrast Generation for Transmitted Light
Darkfield and Phase Contrast Microscopy
Polarized Light and its Interaction with Material
Polarization Microscopy
Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) Microscopy
Examples of Using Polarization Microscopy
Phase, Polarization, and DIC Microscopy Lab
Fluorescence Microscopy
Introduction to Fluorescence Microscopy
Fluorescent Probes: Organic Dyes and Quantum Dots
Fluorescent Proteins and the Story Behind GFP
Fluorescent Protein Indicators
Two-Photon Microscopy
Light Sheet Sectioning
Robotics, Detection and Image Analysis
Cameras and Photosensitive Detectors I: How Do They Work?
Cameras and Detectors II: Specifications and Performance
Introduction to Digital Images
Image Analysis
Deconvolution Microscopy
Using Software to Control Microscopes
Specialized Microscopy
Optical Traps: An Introduction
High Throughput Microscopy
Array Tomography
Miniature Microscopes for Deep Tissue Imaging
Optogenetics: The Use of Opsin Genes in Technique Development
Mobile Microscopy
List of Speakers
Daniel Axelrod (University of Michigan)
Philippe Bastiaens (Max Planck Institute)
Carlos Bustamante (UC Berkeley/HHMI)
Karl Deisseroth (Stanford/HHMI)
Jan Ellenberg (European MBL)
Daniel Fletcher (UC Berkeley)
Joseph Gall (Carnegie Institution)
Stefan Hell (Max Planck Institute)
Bo Huang (UCSF)
Shinya Inoue (MBL)
Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz (NIH)
Jeff Lichtman (Harvard)
Timothy Mitchison (Harvard)
Stephen Ross (Stanford)
Edward Salmon (University of North Carolina)
Mark Schnitzer (Stanford/HHMI)
Stephen Smith (Stanford)
Nico Stuurman (UCSF)
Roger Tsien (UCDS/HHMI)
Kurt Thorn (UCSF)
Ron Vale (HHMI/UCSF)
Clare Waterman (NIH)
Xiaowei Zhuang (HHMI/Harvard)
