Conquer the Confocal

This workshop will cover methods and supporting theory to enable attendees to become more comfortable and competent operating their ZEISS LSM 900s and 980s. Prior LSM imaging background will be helpful but not required. It is recommended that attendees secure time on their instruments after the workshop sessions to apply the shared methods on their own challenging samples. Attendees are strongly encouraged to share their images from individual sessions and interact with our Applications team through independent email threads for further optimization.

We will host this workshop at the ZEISS Microscopy Customer Center (ZMCC) in Dublin, CA. This is a two-and-a-half-day in-person workshop consisting of presentations to highlight fundamental microscopy concepts as well as hands-on instrument time with trainers to click through your workflows step by step. With small group sizes of <5 attendees/trainer, you will get valuable, individualized access to the most cutting-edge microscopy solutions ZEISS offers.

Topics that will be covered in this workshop include:

Introduction to Confocal
o What is a pinhole and how does optical sectioning work
o Why pixel size matters
o LSM 900 and 980 Lightpaths
o Varying Imaging Conditions
 • Dynamic Range
 • Speed v. Spectral Separation
 • Sampling and averaging

Confocal Imaging Applications
o Z-stacks and axial sampling
o Tiles, positions, and focus strategies
o Time lapse imaging
o Photo manipulation module (FRET/FRAP applications)

Spectral Imaging
o LSM 980 beam path and detector overview (PMTs; Spectral GaAsP; NIR detectors)
o Far red sensitivity on NIR
o Linear Unmixing
o Spectral imaging in Lambda Mode
o Online Fingerprinting

Airyscan Imaging
o Basics of the Airyscan detector
o AS detector alignment
o Superresolution and multiplex modes
o Multiplex modes on LSM 980 (4Y and 8Y)
o Imaging with live cells on the Airyscan

Who should attend?

o Existing users of ZEISS LSMs (700/800/880/900/980)
o Infrequent LSM users looking for a refresher on basic and advanced LSM techniques
o Lab managers or technicians looking to improve their own skill level to better support and/or train other users of the instrument

Learning Objectives after completion of this workshop, attendees should:

o Possess an improved ability to select imaging parameters to yield high-quality images of their samples
o Have greater confidence with complex imaging setups, optimizing imaging parameters, troubleshooting on LSMs and analyzing acquired datasets
o Be connected with the North American Applications team who can support them as they work towards acquiring the best data possible

Workshop Package and Payment:
o This is a paid training.
o The investment for this 2.5-day workshop is $3000. You will receive a link to complete payment by credit card after signing up. If you require a PO to purchase training please reach out to us after registering.
o This package includes:
 1. World-class training and certification at end of workshop
 2. Hotel accommodation within walking distance
 3. Lunches and refreshments during the workshop
o To guarantee your spot and hotel coverage, please make sure to submit your payment by November 20. Attendees are responsible for arranging transportation to the workshop location.
o Once we have received payment, we will send you a confirmation e-mail detailing hotel information, workshop itinerary, and arrival instructions.