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Experts will share the latest advances in super-resolution microscopy during a four-day symposium at The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Microscopy Week starting today.
Two microscopy symposiums will be held at various faculties and institutes across UQ from April 1 – 4, including the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CMM) the Translational Research Institute (TRI) and the Australian National Fabrication Facility – Queensland Node (ANFF-Q).
Professor Fred Meunier, who works within QBI’s Advanced Microscopy Facility — home to two of Australia’s most powerful super-resolution microscopes — said this superior technology has a significant impact on research.
“With a resolution of up to 10 times greater than previously possible, the super-resolution technology is quickly gaining recognition with researchers across a range of disciplines,” Professor Meunier said.
“The advanced technology breaks the diffraction limit of light, giving researchers the opportunity to clearly visualise the connections between neurons and observe never-before-seen structures,” he said.
UQ’s super resolution microscopes have enabled single molecule imaging for the first time in Queensland, allowing researchers to study individual receptors on synaptic terminals.
“This means researchers can watch as receptors move and interact in live neurons, which is crucial to the understanding of neuronal functioning both in healthy and diseased brains,” Professor Meunier said.
The first symposium, Microscopy @ UQ (April 1-3), will highlight microscopy research occurring throughout UQ to strengthen collaboration and educate early career researchers and research students.
On Friday 4 April, the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) will be hosting a Super-Resolution Symposium, which will be officially opened by Ambassador of France to Australia, His Excellency Mr Stéphane Romatet.
It includes 40 national and international speakers, who will highlight microscopy research occurring across a range of disciplines.
Speakers include Daniel Choquet (Director of the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Bordeaux France) and Professor Kat Gauss (University of New South Wales).
Workshops with hands on experience to key super-resolution techniques will be provided on the following Monday and Tuesday (7th and 8th of April).
These workshops include a single-molecule imaging workshop focusing on particle tracking and PALM/STORM microscopy hosted at QBI and led by Drs Jean-Baptiste Sibarita and Eric Hosy from the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Bordeaux France.
A Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) workshop on the newly installed OMX instrument will be hosted at TRI, and a workshop highlighting the advanced capabilities of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) will be hosted by ANFF-Q at the AIBN.
Media: Mikaeli Costello, Advancement and Communications Director Queensland Brain Institute, Mikaeli.Costello@uq.edu.au or 0401 580 685
