The Autumn School of Electron Microscopy is hosting students and scientists from all over the Czech Republic from 17 to 21 October. Photo credit: bmpr.cz
Brno, Oct 18 (BD) – The Autumn School of Electron Microscopy (ASEM), which is taking place in Brno from 17 to 21 October, is a unique scientific and educational event that will host talented Ph.D. students and young scientists from all over the Czech Republic, as well as both Czech and international lecturers. Over 150 students from the field of electron microscopy have come to the South Moravian capital for the 10th anniversary edition of the event, organised by the Institute of Instrumentation of the Czech Academy of Sciences (AV ČR). This year’s event is held under the auspices of the President of AV ČR, Professor Eva Zažímalová, and the Mayor of Brno, Markéta Vaňková.
The five-day scientific meeting will include a morning series of theoretical lectures by leading Czech and foreign experts in the field of electron microscopy. Participants will then have the opportunity to take part in a series of half-day practical workshops and exercises in the institute’s laboratories, as well as those of cooperating partner companies Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tescan Orsay Holding, and Delong Instruments, and the AV ČR Institutes of Material Physics and Biophysics.
According to Vilém Neděla, the main organiser of the event and head of the Environmental Electron Microscopy Group at the Institute of Instrumentation, the international speakers include Professor Ondřej Křivánek (NION, USA), Professor Marc Willinger (TUM, Germany), Professor Jiří Friml (ISTA, Austria) and Dr. J. B. Křivánek (ISTA, Austria). The whole program on Thursday 20 October will take place in English, moderated by electron microscopy expert Dr. Deborah Stokes, formerly of Cambridge University. The AV ČR Institute of Biophysics will present light microscopy of biological samples.
This year, ASEM is using 13 laboratories, and hosting the largest ever number of Czech and Slovak participants, with around 150 participants, from experienced scientists to those just becoming acquainted with the field. “The great thing about the event is that students, PhD students, doctors, experts from companies, and excellent scientists who are in charge of electron microscope laboratories at individual institutes of AV ČR can meet in one place,” said Neděla.
“The laboratory exercises are incredibly valuable to the participants,” he continued. “Practically everything that electron microscopy offers today is available to see and experience in Brno. That’s why, when the coronavirus epidemic hit last year, we decided to postpone ASEM for a year rather than do it online. Practical exercises are really irreplaceable.”
“Brno has excellent human potential; there are a number of high-quality, university-educated professionals, the price of labour and products is globally competitive, and their added value is high. In addition, Brno has a long tradition of electron microscopy, and this is hard to build elsewhere,” concluded Neděla. “I believe that Brno will maintain its position as a world centre for research, development, and production of electron microscopes!”
