Life Science Symposia

LS-02 - Dynamic interactions in cells, organoids, tissue, and entire organisms

Temporal imaging is essential to uncover and quantify complex dynamic information in biological systems. This session will focus on multi-scale live imaging, from 2D and 3D cell cultures to whole organisms, and will highlight the role of state-of-the-art imaging techniques (e.g., light-sheet and 3-Photon Microscopy) in the unveiling of new biological processes. Among the topics covered by this session are recent advances in organoid imaging, tissue imaging and intravital imaging used to study cell-cell interactions, proliferation and differentiation during development and regeneration.

Chairs

Laurent Gelman, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research

Olivier Renaud, The Paris Brain Institute

Gobi Shah

Invited Speaker

Jean-Léon Maître, Institute Curie

Scott Fraser

LS-03 - Imaging sub-cellular events at high resolution using light microscopy

Recent developments include improvement in the speed of acquisition, tracking the trajectories of single molecules while imaging, high-throughput approaches and development of new probes. Emphasis of the session will be on the applications of various super-resolution techniques and light sheet microscopy at sub-cellular level.

Chairs

Paula Sampaio, University of Porto 

Michelle Peckman, University of Leeds 

Kurt Anderson

Invited Speaker

Ralph Jungmann, Max Planck Institute of  Biochemistry, Martinsried 

Paul Guichard

Ilaria Testa

LS-04 - Correlative microscopy of biological systems

Correlative and multimodal imaging is a workflow that combines a sequence of various imaging modalities to analyse the same sample, to link structure and function in a biological system. While covering a range of methodological implementations on various model systems this session will also focus on examples of ground-breaking applications in Biology. We would welcome contributions that promote correlating any of such imaging modalities including cryogenic and volumetric approaches (but not restricted to): fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy and tomography, cryo-EM, volume EM (SBF-SEM, FIB-SEM, array tomography etc), microCT, soft X-ray tomography, AFM, and spatial chemical and molecular analysis (e.g. nanoSIMS, orbiSIMS, spatial transcriptomics). We include the critical aspects of sample preparation and data analysis for correlative and multimodal imaging.

Chairs

Lucy Collinson, The Francis Crick Institute

Anna Sartori-Rupp, Institut Pasteur

Invited Speaker
Nalan Liv,
Utrecht Medical Center

Jürgen Plitzko, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried

LS-05 - Pathology, immunocytochemistry, and biomolecular labelling

This session focuses on electron and/or light microscopy approaches for the localization of biomolecules in cells and tissues. In particular new biomolecular labelling approaches as well as immunocytochemistry in relation to pathological conditions will be emphasized. Oral or poster contributions dealing with new methodological concepts, as well as with new types of probes, are of particular interest.

Chairs

Andreas Brech, University of Oslo

Jana Nebesarova, Czeck Academy of Sciences

Invited Speaker

Wiebke Möbius, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplanary Sciences, Göttingen

LS-06 - Host-pathogen interactions & virology

Microscopy features heavily in the fundamental investigation of disease in all organisms. Many models of infection can be used to study pathogens, whether it be isolated molecular interactions, cultured cell lines, primary cells, organoids or tissues. From low magnification of pathological tissues, through fluorescence and live cell imaging, to electron microscopy/tomography and structural biology of pathogens in cells, there is an ever-expanding range of microscopy techniques we use to gain insight into host responses and pathogen biology. Often techniques are used in combination to provide complementary information into questions involving viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections. In this session we will hear from researchers carrying out fundamental science studies on pathogens using microscopy which will ultimately lead to improvements in health and the environment.

Chairs

Mike Strauss, McGill, Canada

Pippa Hawes, The Francis Crick Institute

Invited Speaker

Montserrat Barcena, Leiden University Medical Center

Chairs

Yannick Schwab, EMBL Heidelberg Nalan Liv, Utrecht Medical Center

Invited Speaker

Odara Medagedara, University of Cambridge 
Jemima Burden, University College London

LS-07 - Volume Electron Microscopy in Life Sciences

Volume electron microscopy (volume EM) enables 3D high-resolution visualization of cellular and tissue ultrastructure at μm to mm volume scales. Including both Transmission EM (TEM) and Scanning EM (SEM) based modalities, volume EM capitalizes on automated acquisition of series of cross-sections through a specimen. When using a TEM, volumes are explored by imaging serial sections (ssTEM), or by joining multiple serial tomograms (ssET). In SEM based approaches, whilst serial sections can also be imaged by Array Tomography (AT), iterative imaging and removal of layers of block surfaces (slice and view) can be achieved by focused ion beam SEM (FIB-SEM) and serial block face SEM (SBF-SEM). Adapted to large volumes, volume EM methods impressively capture the sub-cellular landscape across scales, from individual cells to tissues. This session aims at showcasing the latest technological developments in volume EM methods together with capturing the diversity of applications in the Life Sciences.

LS-08 - In-situ structural cell biology

Single-particle cryo-EM has emerged as a widely used method for solving in vitro protein structures. However, this technique may not be suitable for delicate biological complexes and large supramolecular structures. In such cases, imaging them in their native cellular environment using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) becomes necessary. With the advancements in cryo-focused ion beam milling, which allow researchers to open windows in the core of cells, the potential of this approach is being realized. The session will cover in situ structural cell biology latest advancements and challenges.

Chairs

Julika Radecke, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL),

 Benoit Zuber, University of Bern

Invited Speaker

Kay Grünewald, Universität Hamburg, Germany

LS-09 - CryoEM from membrane proteins to large complexes

1. Single-particle cryo-EM studies of membrane protein complexes: Membrane protein complexes are difficult samples to present optimally for single-particle cryo-EM studies with 3D reconstruction. Grids are typically prepared from detergent-solubilized samples or from samples based on lipid-based nanoparticles such as nanodiscs and saposin-lipid nanoparticles. Particular challenges are found in getting proper sampling of orientations, avoiding aggregation and denaturation at the air-water interface. The symposium will highlight recent developments in rational approaches to studies of challenging membrane protein complexes. 2. Molecular mechanisms by high resolution cryo electron microscopy: Recent advances in cryoEM allowed the deciphering of complex mechanisms performed by large protein complexes. Examples of this new trend can be seen in top journals every week.

Chairs

Guillermo Montoya, University of Copenhagen

Poul Nissen, Aarhus University

Invited Speaker

Friedrich Förster, Universiteit Utrecht