9th electron tomography congress.

Dear fans of tilted images!

Registration is now open for the 9th electron tomography congress! The meeting will bring together the leading experts in hardware development, software development, and the diverse set of applications of electron tomography, particularly in biology. Topics covered will include:

  • Recent developments in tomography of large volume samples via FIB milling.
  • Correlative light and electron microscopy
  • Automatic tilt-series acquisition and reconstruction software
  • High-throughput, large-scale reconstructions of plastic embedded samples
  • Latest developments in sub-tomogram classification and averaging
  • Map interpretation, model fitting and animation
  • Example of recent high impact biological results through tomography

The event will be hosted at The Hotel Zuiderduin in Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands.Registration and abstract submission can be accessed here:https://tomo2020.org/registration-and-abstract-submission/The detailed program will be developed based on the submitted abstracts. Deadline for oral presentation abstracts is May 1, 2020.

EMC 2020, Copenhagen

Abstract Submission and Scientific Imaging Competition now OPEN

The Bella Center, Copenhagen, 23-28 August 2020

About emc2020

The European Microscopy Congress 2020 (emc2020) in Copenhagen is being hosted by SCANDEM, and organised by the Royal Microscopical Society under the auspices of the EMS and IFSM. The European Microscopy Congress is known for being the largest European stage for cross-disciplinary research. The broad scientific programme will welcome contributions from all over the world, showcasing the latest research in life sciences, physical sciences and engineering across all microscopy and imaging techniques.

Over 30 conference sessions, an exhibition with more than 100 companies represented and a brilliant selection of features such as pre-event workshops and social networking events.

Submit your abstract now!

Oral and Poster abstract submission is currently open for emc2020.  Go to www.emc2020.eu/abstract-submission  where you can create an account and then submit your abstract. The deadline for submitting your abstract is 1 MARCH 2020. We are accepting abstracts for the following symposia:

  • Life Sciences: Applications
  • Life Sciences: Tools & Techniques
  • Physical Sciences: Applications
  • Physical Sciences: Tools & Techniques
  • Data Handling and Analysis

To see a full list of the individual sessions and their descriptions, the provisional programme including the fantastic line up of invited speakers, please visit: https://www.emc2020.eu/conference/conference-sessions.html. You can also view the confirmed plenary speakers here: https://www.emc2020.eu/conference/plenary-speakers.html.

For help and queries

If you have any questions regarding emc2020 or abstract submission, please do email katejermey@rms.org.uk or visit the website www.emc2020.eu.

Imaging Competition

The emc2020 Scientific Imaging Competition will be a great opportunity for microscopists from across the world to showcase their skills. It provides a great outlet for those that can capture the breath-taking and engaging beauty of the microscopical world. Shortlisted entries will be displayed at emc2020 which is also where the competition winners will be announced and awarded. Prizes are provided by many of the sponsoring companies at emc2020. The competition is divided into six categories:

  • Electron Microscopy – Life Science
  • Electron Microscopy – Materials Science
  • Light Microscopy – Life Science
  • Light Microscopy – Materials Science
  • Scanning Probe Microscopy
  • Short Video

The closing date for all entries is midnight GMT Monday 1 June 2020. Short-listed entries will be notified by Friday 10 July 2020. Please go to www.emc2020.eu/image-competition to submit your image.  

For any questions regarding the imaging competition, please do email lucy@rms.org.uk.

Vacancy: Technical Support Co-worker Electron Microscopy

Radboud University Medical Center is looking for an enthusiastic Technical Support co-worker Electron Microscopy with a bachelor (hbo) degree in laboratory research (hlo). The project will be carried out at the Electron Microscopy Center of Radboudumc, within the RTC | Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) of the Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen – The Netherlands. The co-worker will be appointed in the department of Biochemistry in the group of Prof. Nico Sommerdijk.

He/she will develop and apply advanced electron microscopic techniques for the structural and chemical analysis of biological materials (hard and soft tissues). The work will be performed to support the activities of the Radboud Technology Center Microscopy, both in service and by being associated to specific scientific EM-oriented projects. (~50:50)

The co-worker will specialize in 3D cryogenic FIB/SEM for volume imaging of biological materials, where he/she will train, assist and support researchers in performing and analyzing their experiments. In addition he/she will perform research within specific projects to push the borders of advanced EM techniques and to apply them to answer open scientific questions. The main focus of the project will be on hard tissue formation (e.g. the mechanisms of bone formation). Furthermore the co-worker will contribute to the running of the Electron Microscopy Center and to the maintenance of the infrastructure.

For more information please look athttps://www.vacatures.nl/vacature/vacancy-technical-support-co-worker-electron-microscopy:41996287/, or contact prof Nico Sommerdijk at nico.sommerdijk@radboudumc.nl

Ph.D / Postdoc course Advanced Optical Microscopy 2020

June 15 – 19, 2020

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 and Postdoc students 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
  • Light sheet microscopy – High-throughput microscopy
  • Super-resolution microscopy (with a focus on STED)
  • Multiphoton laser scanning laser microscopy
  • Vital imaging of cells and tissues
  • Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
  • Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM)
  • Sample preparation and clearing
  • 3D image restoration and image processing

Approach: Theoretical lectures will be provided in the morning sessions, while practical training and demonstrations are planned in the afternoon. You will have the opportunity to discuss your results or view your own microscopic preparations with experts in the field. The course will end with a one day symposium, the annual Maastricht Microscopy Meeting (MMM) on Advanced Optical Microscopy.

Examination: At the start of the course students will receive by email an open question, dealing with a cell biological problem that should be solved by using microscopic techniques and proper preparation of the sample. Students may do this assignment individually or in small groups. The deadline for the assignment is Friday June 26th 2020. Examination results will be available by July 24th 2020 at the latest.

Min/Max students: maximum 20 participants

Location: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Center

Coordinator: Prof.dr. Marc van Zandvoort, Dept. of Molecular Cell Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, tel: +31 43 3881361, mamj.vanzandvoort@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Teaching staff: M. van Zandvoort, J. Broers, D. Kapsokalyvas, T. Rademakers, and others (to be announced).

Registration: Secretary Molecular Cell Biology / secr-mcb@maastrichtuniversity.nl / +31 43 3881351

Registration fee: € 200

New EMBL job opening: Euro-BioImaging Industry Board Coordinator

Euro-BioImaging Bio-Hub at EMBL Heidelberg is looking for the Euro-BioImaging Industry Board (EBIB) Coordinator who will work in close collaboration with EBIB Chair and EBIB members located across Europe as well as with the Euro-BioImaging Hub Office.    

The Euro-BioImaging Industry Board (EBIB) is currently comprised of thirteen different companies across the imaging field. In the EBIB, all companies work together as a single, professional entity, setting their own goals in order to proactively drive the interaction between the imaging industry on the one hand and European researchers, funders and the imaging facilities linked with the European research infrastructure, Euro-BioImaging (eurobioimaging.eu) on the other hand. In October 2019, the European Commission has officially established Euro-BioImaging – which provides life scientists with open access to a broad range of technologies and resources in biological and biomedical imaging – as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). The post holder will report to the Director Euro-BioImaging Bio-Hub at EMBL and the EBIB Chair. The responsibilities of the position include among others:

  • Proactively seeking opportunities for EBIB members to engage and collaborate with Euro-BioImaging Nodes, users and national networks;
  • Representing the EBIB at international events in a professional and politically astute manner;
  • Strategically prepare and operationally manage EBIB-driven meetings and workshops to understand the needs of the imaging community;
  • Coordinating “One Voice” activities to the political community at national and European level (European Commission, Brussels) in order to increase the imaging market;
  • Developing communication tools and activities to boost EBIB’s visibility in order to increase the number of industry members and strengthen EBIB’s presence in the scientific and political landscape;
  • Keep up-to-date with imaging-associated initiatives and provide EBIB with tailored insight into European research trends and culture changes;
  • Coordinating industry participation in Euro-BioImaging EU-wide training programs;

If you are interested please find here the complete job description and link for online submission of your application. Please distribute also to your friends and colleagues, who might be interested in this job posting. Thank you!

Kind regards,
Antje Keppler, PhD

Interim Section Director
Euro-BioImaging Bio-Hub
Global BioImaging Coordinator
EMBL Meyerhofstr. 1, DE-69117 Heidelberg
Tel. +49 6221 387 8847

Basics in Fluorescence Microscopy – Amsterdam, NL

Dear colleagues,

We are happy to announce the course “Basics in fluorescence microscopy”, organised by the van Leeuwenhoek Centre for Advanced Microscopy at Amsterdam University, the Netherlands, January 28th-31st, 2020.

This is a 4-days basic microscopy course for graduate students, postdocs and lab technicians in biology, biophysics and (bio)medicine. It provides detailed knowledge of the working principles of confocal and widefield fluorescence imaging, with special emphasis on experiment related issues, such as optical aberrations, bleaching, specimen preparation and fluorescent probes. The course integrates theoretical lectures with hands-on experiments and practical experience. Experts in the field of microscopy will give an overview of “state-of-the-art” imaging techniques in biological research.

For more info, program and application form check http://www.microscopycourse.nl/

Participants: Max. 20 PhD students, postdocs and technicians.
Date: January 28th-31st 2020
Level: Starting microscopist
Costs (including coffee and lunches):  400 €
Application deadline: January 3rd 2020
Organisers: LCAM, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, contact: Mark Hink

Postdoctoral position for a cryo-EM project on retrotransposons

To Whom It May Concern:

We have an open position for a postdoctoral researcher within my team, where the successful applicant will be working in the Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, at The Rockefeller University. The successful applicant will join a project focused on structural analysis of human LINE-1 retrotransposons. Our team has already succeeded in significantly advancing the biochemical and proteomic analysis of LINE-1, see e.g. PMIDs: 31892958, 29309035, and 24267889. For more information on my research portfolio and professional network see: www.macromolecule.fun & www.ncdir.org

The research will take a hybrid-approach, including cross-linking / mass spectrometry and cryo-electron microscopy. Prior experience with cryo-EM is an absolute requirement. Applicants should have demonstrated experience in cryo-EM sample preparation, data acquisition, data analysis and structure determination. Some experience with immunoprecipitation and proteomics analyses is desirable but the applicant will receive training on-the-job in advanced techniques. We aim to place a qualified researcher in this position by early February 2020.

The Rockefeller University has advanced cryo-EM infrastructure, including three high end dedicated cryo-electron microscopes: one FEI Talos Arctica and two FEI Titan Krios units. This center provides users with the world’s most stable dedicated cryo-electron microscopes optimized for high resolution single particle analysis of proteins and protein complexes. Rockefeller University researchers also have access to the New York Structural Biology Center which houses three FEI Titan Krios units along with the Chameleon robot, a novel method for vitrifying samples for cryoEM.

The successful applicant is expected to be highly driven and organized – bringing personal passion, enthusiasm, and professionalism to an already successful team with the same. Day-today interactions will additionally include cooperation and collaboration with the laboratories of Profs. Michael P. Rout and Brian T. Chait of The Rockefeller University. The position has an initial term of two years and is potentially renewable contingent upon funding and results.

Contact: jlacava@rockefeller.edu