Pre-Congress Training Courses
We are happy to announce that 8 training courses will be scheduled on the 25th and 26th of August 2016, just before the EMC congress. They will be organized in Lyon and Grenoble by research teams from the academic institutions in the Rhône-Alpes/Auvergne area (e.g. Lyon, Grenoble and St-Etienne).
Registration to these courses will be managed by the French Society of Microscopies; there will be a registration fee to contribute to the operating costs, refreshment and lunches (more practical information will soon be available on). The opening of the registration will be around February 2016 (all participants will have to register in advance).
Waiting for your contribution, we hope seeing you in Lyon on August 2016.
Training topics:
Environmental electron microscopies
Sylvie DESCARTES (LaMCoS, INSA de Lyon), Karine MASENELLI-VARLOT (MATEIS, INSA de Lyon)
Location: Lyon
Dates: 25th and 26th of August
Abstract: Environmental scanning and transmission electronic microscopies (ESEM, ETEM) allow to characterize non-conductive samples, as well as delicate samples under vacuum conditions or “pollutant” samples. ESEM and ETEM differ from a conventional SEM or TEM since the sample is not viewed under high vacuum but in a gaseous environment. Thus environmental electron microscopies allow to follow in situ dynamic phenomena for a wide range of materials (metals, polymers, hydrated or biological samples…), such as strain/stress measurements link to microstructural transformation, evolution of objects or surface under high temperature, nano-objects growth under gaseous or liquid environment, chemical reactions...
The workshop will include the theoretical background and the interest of using environmental electron microscopies as well as practical demonstrations sessions on image acquisition under specific environment on SEM ESEM XL30, E-TEM FEI Titan electron microscopes.
Image Processing with ICY
David ROUSSEAU (CREATIS CNRS UMR 5220 - INSERM U1044 - Université Lyon 1 - INSA Lyon, LyonBioImage, Lyon)
Location: Lyon
Dates: 26th of August
Abstract: We propose an initiation to Image Processing with the free software ICY. The first session is an introduction to this free software with practical examples. The second session will be dedicated to the analysis of images brought by the participants.
Cryo-electron microscopy of biological sample
Guy Schoehn (Structural Biology Institute, Grenoble)
Location: Grenoble
Dates: 26th of August
Abstract: The workshop will go over the different steps necessary to get cryoEM images of a biological sample ie to start from the liquid sample and finish with good cryo-EM images. It will include checking of the sample by negative staining to see if the sample concentration / homogeneity is good enough. Second step will be to vitrify grids using a FEI Mark IV Vitrobot and discuss about the different conditions allowed in cryoEM at the sample and buffer level: What are the size limitation, the buffer limitation, different kind of grids available etc…
Frozen grids will be introduced either in a F20 or in a Polara F30 cryo-electron microscope (side entry, top entry) and imaged using either the FEI low dose system (F20) either external low dose system (Polara). On the Polara, the images will be acquired on a K2 summit direct electron detector. Introduction can also be given on how the microscope / camera is working.
Special focus will be made on what you exactly need to do cryoEM in term of instrumentation (microscope, cryo-holder and camera) and on what you can do in-house and on external facilities that becomes available all around the world.
Ultramicrotomy of polymers at room- and cryo temperature
Annie RIVOIRE (Centre technologique des Microstructures, University Claude Bernard Lyon1, Lyon Bio-Image), Helmut GNAEGI (Diatome)
Location: Lyon
Dates: 25th and 26th of August
Abstract: Ultramicrotomy is the ultimate preparation method for polymers which shall be investigated in the TEM, SEM or in the AFM. Polymer materials have a wide variety in size, shape and physical/chemical state. Information is needed to perform successful ultramicrotomy: the polymer type, the glass transition temperature (Tg), is it a blend, a composite, the processing (injection, compression, extruded, etc), are there additives, fibres, nanoparticles, etc. Polymer samples are microtomed at room- or at cryo temperatures, according to their glass transition temperature. Less compression and hence a better structure preservation is achieved by reducing the wedge angle of the knife from 45° to 35° or even to 25°. However, reducing the wedge angle leads to a more sensitive cutting edge. An alternative is to oscillate the knife (see Studer et al., Journal of Microscopy 2000). This approach allows compression reduction and improved structure preservation in fairly rigid polymers (see J.S. Vastenhout et al., Microscopy Today 2006, and J.S. Vastenhout et al., Microscopy and Microanalysis 2002). The oscillating knife reduces the compression almost completely without additional cutting artifacts.
In collaboration with Helmut Gnaegi we propose a 1.5 days theoretical and practical training course on the 25th and 26th August with an introduction to polymers sectioning, including the use of the ultra-sonic diamond knife.
Superresolution in optical microscopy
Christophe CHAMOT (Plateau Technique Imagerie/Microscopie, UMS3444/US8 BioSciences Gerland-Lyon Sud, Lyon Bio-Image), Cyril Mauclair (Hubert Curien Lab, Université Jean Monnet University, Saint Étienne)
Location: Lyon
Dates: 25th and 26th of August
Abstract: The aim of the training is to introduce the theoretical basis, the latest technological developments, and the acquisition and data analysis procedures on super-resolution microscopy techniques used to investigate the ultra-structure of molecular assemblies in fixed samples and their dynamics in living cells and tissues. Structured illumination microscopy and STORM (or SPT-PALM) techniques will be investigated practically. After the theory, a practical session on several microscopes is planned, followed by a critical glance on image processing and analysis.
Optical Microscopy of Single Nanoparticles
Pierre-François BREVET (Centre of Nano-Optics of the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - NANOPTEC -)
Location: Lyon
Dates: 25th and 26th of August
Abstract: Nanoscopic probes for optical microscopy have been in great demand over the recent years. These probes can be metallic nanoparticles or rare-earth doped dielectric nanoparticles, for example. They require therefore for their multimodal observation new instruments possessing a large flexibility in order to access their cross-section either for absorption, scattering or light emission.
The Centre for Nano-Optics NANOPTEC of the University Lyon 1 proposes a 2 days workshop with hands-on on state-of-the-art microscope instruments to observe these nanoprobes. The participants will have the opportunity to acquire the concepts and the techniques involving linear and nonlinear optical methods to perform these studies.
Crystal Orientation and Phase mapping in the Transmission Electron Microscope
Edgar RAUCH, Muriel Véron (SIMAP, Grenoble INP)
Location: Grenoble
Dates: 27th of August
Abstract: The workshop mainly intends to train participants to the use of the TEM automated tool ASTAR. This crystal orientation and phase mapping technique allows characterization of nano-crystallized materials with a spatial resolution of 1 nm when coupled to a FEG TEM.
The workshop will include theoretical background about possible techniques to map phases and crystallographic orientations in electron microscopy as well as on the template matching strategy used in ASTAR, and practical sessions on data acquisition and processing. The benefit of Precession Electron Diffraction (PED) will be highlighted with dedicate sessions on a JEOL 2100F TEM. This session is organized in collaboration with NanoMEGAS SPRL.
QuantiSTEM Quantitative STEM for atomic resolution imaging and local chemical analysis (EDX and EELS)
Jean-Luc Rouvière, Vincent Delaye, Eric Robin (CEA - University Grenoble Alpes)
Location: Grenoble
Dates: 25th and 26th of August
Abstract: During the last years, important developments have been realized in Scanning Transmission Electron microscopy (STEM) and STEM has become more and more attractive. The aim of this 2-day practical is to show these new possibilities by combining theoretical courses (first half day) and practicals (3 half days) on microscopes and computers.
The 3 practicals performed on 3 advanced FEI microscopes* will be on:
(i) Quantitative high resolution: introduction to probe-Cs-correctors, choice of the convergence angle, detectors, simulations
(ii) EDX spectrometry: quantification using the zeta-factor, k-factor and IZAC method
(iii) EELS with a GIF (Gatan Imaging Filter): acquisition and analysis.
*The 3 microscopes of the practical: Titan Ultimate with a probe and image Cs-corrector, GIF, monochromator, TITAN Themis with probe corrector, quadrant STEM detector, beta-velox software for DPC and EDX, TECNAI Osiris with GIF.
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