XI - Edition 2007

XI School of Pure and Applied Biophysics

on

Advanced Optical Microscopy Methods in Biophysics

Venice, - Campo Santo Stefano, January 29 - February 2, 2007

Organised by:

SIBPA- Società Italiana di Biofisica Pura e Applicata
IVSLA - Istituto Veneto di Scienze Lettere ed Arti

Scientific Coordinators

• Giovanni Giacometti (IVSLA and University of Padua)
• Giovanni Felice Azzone (IVSLA and University of Padova)
• Alberto Diaspro (Dept. of Physics, University of Genova)
• Cesare Usai (Institue of Biophysics, CNR)

Director of the School

• Giorgio M. Giacometti (IVSLA and University of Padua)
  E-mail: gcometti(at)bio.unipd.it

 School overview and definitive program

Biophysics is a molecular science rapidly moving to the nanoscale. It seeks to explain biological function in terms of the molecular structures and properties of specific molecules. The size of these molecules varies dramatically, from small fatty acids and sugars (~1 nm = 10-9 m), to macromolecules like proteins (5-10 nm), starches (bigger than 1000 nm), and the enormously elongated DNA molecules. Much effort in biophysics is directed to determining the structure of specific biological molecules and of the larger structures into which they assemble. Some of this effort involves inventing new methods and building new instruments for monitoring these structures, and many of the exciting new developments in optical microscopy, in terms of imaging and manipulation, spectroscopy and visualization, are part of this effort. Starting from these considerations we planned to focus on Advanced Optical Microscopy Methods in Biophysics the theme of the XI School of Pure and Applied Biophysics, to be held in Venice, from January 29 to February 2 - 2007, Palazzo Franchetti, the prestigious premises of the Istituto di Scienze Lettere e Arti (IVSLA).

The School is co-organized by Alberto Diaspro (Department of Physics, University of Genoa) and Cesare Usai (Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council).

Topics of the School will be on:
CARS (Coherent Anti Raman Scattering), TIRF (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence), SHG-THG (Second-Third Harmonic Generation), Correlative microscopy, Multiphoton microscopy, Confocal Microscopy, 3D microscopy, Lifetime Imaging Microscopy, FRET (Forster resonance Enrgy Transfer), FRAP (Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching), SIngle molecule imaging, Tissue imaging, Cell imaging, Inverse problems in Optical Microscopy (Computational methods in image recovery), 7D Microscopy (adding new dimensions to x-y-z-t), Nanoscopy, Optical Tweezers, Complementary methods, Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

Provisional list of Lecturers includes:

• Wolfgang Becker (Becker-Hickl, Germany)
• Paolo Bianchini (Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genova, I)
• Ranieri Bizzarri (NEST-INFM, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, I)
• Rolf Th.Borlinghaus (Leica Microsystems CMS, Mannheim, Germany)
• Fred Brakenhoff (University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute for LIfe Sciences, NL)
• Carlos Bustamante (UC Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, CA, USA)
• Valentina Caorsi (Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genova, I)
• Giuseppe Chirico (Università di Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica, Milano, I)
• Giuliano Colombetti (Istituto di Biofisica, CNR Italia)
• Chris Dorman (Coherent, Scotland)
• Mario Faretta (IFOM-IEO Campus for Oncogenomics, European Institute of Oncology, Milano, I)
• Stefan W. Hell (Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Dept. NanoBiophotonics, Goettingen, Germany)
• V. Bleu Knight (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, USA)
• Lucie Kubinova (Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Department of Biomathematics, Prague, Czech Republic)
• Manuel Martinez Corral (University of Valencia, Department of Optics, ES)
• Davide Mazza (Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genova, I)
• Valentina Mussi (NANOMED, Università di Genova, I)
• Erwin Neher (Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goettingen, Germany)
• Dario Parazzoli (IFOM-IEO Campus for Oncogenomics, European Institute of Oncology, Milano, I)
• Francesco Pavone (LENS, Università di Firenze, I)
• Tullio Pozzan (University of Padova, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Padova, I)
• Franco Quercioli (Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, CNR, Firenze, I)
• Gimmi Ratto (Istituto di Neuroscienze, CNR, Pisa, I)
• Peter Saggau (Baylor College of Medicine, Dept. Neuroscience, Houston, TX, USA)
• Bruno Samorì (Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Biochimica, Bologna, I)
• Ilaria Testa (Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genova, I)
• Giuseppe Vicidomini (Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Informatica e Scienze dell'Informazione, Genova, I)
• Tony Wilson (University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, UK)
• Fred Wouters (The Neuroscience Institute, European Neuroscience Institute, Goettingen, Germany)

MAIN SPONSOR: Leica Microsystems, Germany.
SUPPORTING SPONSORS (to be updated): ISS, Urbana, Illinois; Becker and Hickl; OKO-LAB ; Coherent; Springer and Verlag; Chroma; Amici del Festival della Scienza; Comune di Genova.

REGISTRATION
The number of students admitted is restricted to 30.
The participation fee is 300 Euros which includes five nights accommodation and attendance at the lessons. The participation fee is reduced to 150 Euros in case the attendant does not need accommodation. The participation fee is reduced to 250 Euros for those registering by 15 December 2006.
Applicants are admitted to the School by the Scientific Committee based on the information (short curriculum) provided on the pre-registration form, which must be submitted on line using the following application form.
The admittance will be individually communicated via e-mail.

FURTHER DETAILS AND UPDATES
http://www.lambs.it (section Events)

Timetable

Further information can be obtained from:
 
Alberto Diaspro
Dept. of Physics
University of Genoa
Via Dodecaneso, 33
16146 Genova - ITALY
Phone:  +39 010 3536426 
Fax: +39 010 2099227
E-mail: diaspro(at)fisica.unige.it

Cesare Usai
CNR - Institute of Biophysics, Unit at Genoa
Via De Marini, 6
16146 Genova - ITALY
Phone:  +39 010 6475579 
Fax: +39 010 6475500
E-mail: usai(at)nameserver.ge.cnr.it

and from the director of the school:

Giorgio M. Giacometti
Dept. of Biology
University of Padova
Viale G. Colombo, 3
35131 Padova - ITALY
Phone:  +39 049 8276326 
Fax: +39 049 8276300
E-mail: gcometti(at)bio.unipd.it