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     A volunteer and collaborative effort to bring information about shared microscopy facilities to the University of Arizona and the community.

Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy 2026 (May 31 - June 6, 2026) Mt Desert Island, ME

The use of light sheet imaging in all its forms continues to grow and plays a dynamic and increasing importance in fields as diverse as developmental biology, and neuroscience or system based anatomy and cell biology. Fortunately this has led to tremendous commercial and scientific enterprise and the number of approaches and available systems continues to grow at a very rapid, and perhaps confusing rate. This is an international course specifically focused to light sheet imaging approaches, being taught at the Mount Desert Island Biology Laboratory campus near Bar Harbor in Maine.

This course really has two primary functions:

  • The first is an immersive treatment, of the theory and practice of light sheet microscopy. The goal being to educate scientists on the opportunities the technology offers, covering the basic science behind the approach in all its flavors.
  • The second is to allow you to actually interact with and use essentially every commercial system currently available (currently > than 14 platforms) and select "home built" approaches. Importantly we are making a few major changes to the curriculum this year, the most significant of which is that we are encouraging you to bring your own samples to test out on the various available platforms that will be hosted by MDIBL during the week.

Most importantly for potential applicants, institutional, federal and commercial support has allowed the tuition to be reduced to $1,500, which includes all course costs (housing, meals, and course materials) though you are of course responsible for getting yourself to the campus itself. Enrollment is on a rolling basis and highly competitive so if feel you or your colleagues would benefit from the course please apply as soon as possible.

The course is directed towards scientists at all ranks (graduate students, fellows, lab managers, imaging facility leaders and faculty) at both academic and commercial institutions. It starts on May 31st and runs through June 6th. You can find out more about the course and register at this site: https://mdibl.org/course/lsfm-2026/. Application deadline is April 26, 2026.