FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY: A decade of teaching fundamentals and applications in fluorescence spectroscopy

PicoQuant GmbH (Berlin, Germany) celebrated the 10th edition of its European Short Course called "Principles and Applications of Time-resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy" in Berlin October 29 to November 1, 2012. The course is intended for anyone wanting an in-depth introduction to fluorescence spectroscopy and its applications to the life sciences.

At the opening reception, PicoQuant managing director Rainer Erdmann expressed his gratitude for a decade of cooperation and support to Joseph R. Lakowicz, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and director of the Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD), and to Zygmunt (Karol) Gryczynski, professor of biomedical physics at Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, TX). Together with PicoQuant, these two acclaimed researchers launched the course in 2003.

Forty-one participants from 17 countries joined lectures and hands-on trainings during the anniversary event. Topics included time-domain and frequency-domain measurements; anisotropy; solvent effects; quenching; Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET); and fluorescence in biophysics, sensing, and material science. Hands-on sessions were presented by application specialists from not only PicoQuant (which contributed fluorescence lifetime spectrometers and a time-resolved confocal microscope), but also Agilent (spectrophotometer instrumentation) and Assaymetrics (a fluorescence lifetime plate reader). Experiment stations focused on specific fluorescence measurement methods such as anisotropy, lifetime, steady-state, assay, fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), and data analysis.