EMBO Practical Course - Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy: From Cells to Tissue

EMBO Practical Course - Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy: From Cells to Tissue is organized by European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and will be held from Apr 20 - 24, 2026 at EMBL Advanced Training Centre (ATC), Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

Description:
Expansion microscopy (ExM) physically magnifies specimens, allowing to obtain super-resolution images using a conventional diffraction-limited microscope such as confocal microscopy. This powerful technique is easy to implement but it requires some hands-on training. The gain in resolution can be further enhanced with the use of super-resolution microscopes such as STED. This course centered on the Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy (U-ExM) based techniques applied to mammalian cells aims at disseminating and discussing expansion microscopy protocols and is intended for cell biologists, parasitologists, etc, with applications ranging from tissue to cells.

Learning outcomes
After this course you should be able to:

• Apply ultrastructure expansion microscopy on your own samples once back in your laboratory (sample preparation and imaging). Note that depending on your sample, the preparation might slightly differ.
• Spread the technique to your colleagues in their respective laboratories
• Choose the most appropriate expansion microscopy protocols for your needs