The EU structural funds project „Completing the infrastructure for modern research of lifestyle diseases“, ITMS: 26230120006, awarded to the Institute of Heart Research SAS and its partners, enabled the Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics of the Centre of Biosciences SAS to acquire the super-resolution microscope LEICA STED 3X. The state-of-the-art microscope allows imaging of cells and tissues with unprecedented spatial resolution of 40 nanometers and temporal resolution of 200 microseconds. This technology opens up a new observation window to study the structure, movement, formation and interaction of proteins and organelles within living cells. To facilitate its exploitation by the broad scientific community in Slovakia, we have organized the workshop Nanoscopy Studies vol.1, Theoretical and Practical sessions with LEICA STED 3X, focussed on advanced imaging technologies in biology. The workshop, under the auspices of the Czechoslovak Microscopic Society, took place at the Pavilion of Medical Sciences at the Centre of Biosciences SAS. The co-organizer Pragolab s.r.o. invited the application expert (Daniel Smeets, Leica-Microsystems) and Slovak scientific specialists (D. Chorvát, V. Huntošová, A. Zahradníková) to present introductory lectures explaining the STED technology and documenting the potential of laser nanoscopy from basic research to applications in modern medicine. The core of the workshop was in ten 90-minute application sessions for individual participants. The scientists personally discussed their application objectives with the experts and studied their own samples, prepared with expert advice and with assistance of the staff of the Department of Muscle Cell Research, IMPG CBs SAS. Altogether, the workshop was attended by 70 scientists and students from 15 scientific organizations from Košice, Martin, Bratislava and Brno.
A. Zahradníková, M. Kopecký, I. Zahradník.
