Beyond the Naked Eye: Microscopy Beginners Course 2020

*Update: We regret to announce that due to the current public health crisis, Beyond the Naked Eye: Microscopy Beginners Course 2020 has been postponed to an unconfirmed date. Keep an eye out for updates.*

Go deeper into the hidden microscopic world through lens and light in this 4-week skills course.

Beyond the Naked Eye 2020
Beginners Microscopy Course
6.30 pm – 9.00 pm, Wednesdays, 14th Oct – 4th Nov 2020

Experience new ways of creating striking images by venturing into the unseen world of microscopy, explore different samples and staining techniques to visualise the invisible through the medium of lens and light.

ASCUS Lab is equipped with a wide range of microscopes that have a variety of microscopy techniques, from basic bright field using simple white light to darkfield and polarised light techniques that alter the light path.

This workshops will cover every stage, from sample collection and preparation, taking you through the basic physics of how microscopes work along with an introduction to the different techniques of light microscopy. Explore and gain an understanding of how different samples interact with light and different stains. Gain confidence in using a range of microscopes for your own creative exploration into microscopic image-making.

Try out making various samples from the world around you, from single-celled to multi-celled organisms like you, to plants, dust and everything in between. The course will explore the benefits of using different samples for making permanent slides, along with the benefits of using different contrast-enhancing techniques for both scientific and creative purposes.

All participants should bring along a notebook and an insatiable curiosity, all other materials are provided.

Course Details

When:

Wednesdays, 6.30pm – 9.00pm
14th Oct- 4th Nov 2020

Where:

ASCUS Lab, Summerhall

Price:

£130

Concession*:

£117

Early Bird Offer:

£104 (book by Wed 2nd Sept, 2020)

Audience:

Adults

Booking:

Click and Register

Booking Deadline:

Wed 7th Oct, 2020

Class size:

10 people

Tutor:

Dr Jiri Jirout

Course Level:

Beginners (no previous lab experience in art or science required)

Participants will have free access to ASCUS Lab Open Sessions for the full course running period

* full time students; unemployed persons, senior citizens, residents of Summerhall, and disabled persons. If you have booked as a concession you must provide proof of status on arrival.

Course Outline

This is a series of skills workshops combining presentation, demos and hands-on learning activities for anyone interested in learning the basics of microscopy in a fun, creative and experimental environment.

What’s in store?

WEEK 1

ANATOMY
OF A
MICROSCOPE
‘WHAT AM I SEEING?’

WEEK 2

SAMPLE COLLECTION & MOUNTING ‘WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER?’

WEEK 3

SAMPLE STAINING & MOUNTING ‘HOW DO I MAKE MY SLIDE LAST?’

WEEK 4

DIFFERENT MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUES ‘WHY DO THEY MATTER?’

Introduction to microscopes – refraction, reflection, magnification, and scale
The physics of microscopy – the light path
How microscopes are built – lenses and mirrors
Sample collection and preservation – what to consider
Slide preparation – fixing and mounting

Staining methods, techniques, and applications – an expansive world
How staining works – top tips for using different stains
Scientific use – taxonomy and diagnostics
Creative use – concepts and approaches
Intro to Oil immersion technique – as close up as you can get
Microscopy image capturing – using a DSLR camera to take micrographs

Dr Jiri Jirout, Course Tutor

Dr Jiri Jirout is ASCUS Lab’s technician. He has over 10 years of experience in soil biology research at the Institute of Soil Biology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences. His research was mainly focused on microorganisms, their roles and interactions in soils, and multi-disciplinary analyses of the soil environment. Jiri has been running ASCUS Lab Open Sessions over the last three years and has a wealth of experience guiding newcomers to a lab environment through the possibilities for both creative and scientific purposes in ASCUS Lab.

Who is it for?:

anyone interested in microscopy and developing lab skills
artists interested in using microscopes for creative projects
scientists who don’t usually work with microscopes
students interested in exploring the field of microscopy
the ever-curious and creative
anyone interested in looking deeper into what lives all around us in the microscopic world!

Booking Refund Policy

Please note that purchased tickets can only be refunded in the following circumstances:

If the event/workshop/course is canceled, rescheduled or has changed location.
If an event is rescheduled to another date, your tickets are still valid. If you can’t make the rescheduled date, then you’re entitled to a full refund.
Refund requests will be accepted up until 1 week before the date of the event. We are unable to guarantee that refund requests received after this time will be possible.
When events are canceled or rescheduled we will do our best to inform all participants using the contact details provided when the order was made.

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