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Microbiology and Microscopy Summer school
Mon – Fri, 10am – 1pm & 2 to 6pm, 15th – 19th July 2019
Our world is full of things invisible to the human eye. Have you ever tried to see the micropatterns of everyday objects? Can you imagine how much life is in a drop of puddle water or a single gram of soil? Experience the world of microorganisms living around us and creatively experiment with microbes often used in the lab, including baker’s yeast and bacteria. Find out how they produce light, antibiotics and pigments.
This series of workshops including tuition and hands on experiments will take you through the stunning world of microbes, microscopes. Each day you will gain new insights and will have a chance to practice yourself with expert guidance from our microbiologist lab technician.
ASCUS Lab is equipped for several microscopy techniques and houses a variety of microorganisms. Take this chance to explore and gain understanding of how our world is full of details, patterns and colours. A world inhabited by microbial friends and foes interacting with ourselves and their surroundings. Our course will provide you with the skills and techniques needed to explore diverse samples in microscopic scale from both scientific and creative perspectives. All you need is yourself, a notebook and an open mind. All other materials are provided.
If you don’t have 5 consecutive days to devote or if you only want to focus on a particular day’s topic don’t worry. Each day acts as stand alone workshop, you can purchase tickets for as few or as many days as suits you.
Please note, day 5 is devoted to reflection and viewing results from the experiments throughout the week therefore day 5 can only be attended with purchase of a 5 day ticket. We will say, to get the best out of this experience, we would recommend attending all 5 days.
Details
2pm-6pm: self led lab experience
15th – 19th Jul 2019
*Concessions are for: 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 summer school combining presentation, demos and hands-on learning activities for anyone interested in learning the basics of microscopy and microbiology in a fun, creative and experimental environment.
What will be covered:
INTRO TO A MICRO WORLD

CREATIVE USE OF MICROBES

MICROBIAL WORKHORSES

MICROSCOPES & STAINING

COLOURFUL MICROSCOPY

- Introduction to micro world – how to work in a safe, clean way
- Where to find interesting things to see and grow – all about samples
- Environmental microbiology – microbes in various ecosystems
- Antimicrobial resistance testing
- Creative microbiology, slime mould, concepts and approaches
- Preparation of microscopic slides from various samples
- Microorganisms under microscope
- Various microscope techniques – how to choose the best one for your sample
- Staining of samples for microscopy
- Microscopy of crystals
About Jiri and his background

People who might like to take this summer school:
- anyone interested in microbiology, microscopy and developing lab skills
- artists interested in using scientific approaches for creative projects
- scientists who would like to ‘play’ in a lab without so many boundaries
- students interested in exploring the field of microbiology and microscopy
- teachers who would like to try creative approaches for their classes
- anyone interested in looking deeper into the microscale of the world around us!
Booking Refund Policy
Please note that purchased tickets can only be refunded in the following circumstances:
- If the event/workshop/course is cancelled, 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 cancelled or rescheduled we will do our best to inform all participants using the contact details provided when the order was made.