5 Courses in Advanced Methods in Optical Spectroscopy for Biophysics and Biology
from 2003 to 2007

In the years 2003 - 2007 the institutes IBI-1 and IBI-2 (later INB-1 and INB-2, now ISB-1 and ISB-2) organized (J. Enderlein, T. Gensch, I. Gregor (IBI-1) and J. Fitter, J. Heberle (IBI-2)) a one-week course on the growing field of advanced optical spectroscopy and microscopy methods used in biophysics and biology focussing on fluorescence and vibrational spectroscopy. Each year, 12-15 researchers participated - from 3rd year students, PhD candidates to postdoractoral fellow and group leaders from all parts of the world. The course included every year lectures from 4-6 invited experts as well as from inhouse lecturers. Half of the course was reserved for experiments with 2-3 participants and one instructor covering single molecule fluorescence experiments, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, two-photon fluorescence microscopy with FLIM for intracellular ion imaging, labelling of proteins with organic dyes, infrared absorption (FTIR) and resonance raman spectroscopy.

All five courses were of great success, not only for the participants but also for the organizers and the guest lecturers due to the great opportunity of contact and exchange between experts in techniques, newcomers and experts in biological systems seeking for the application of new spectroscopy methods. In 2007, the provisionally last course took place caused by the leave of J. Enderlein, I. Gregor and J. Heberle to other Universities.